Beech E35 accident near Okeechobee, Florida, November 23, 2019
On November 23, 2019 at about 5:44 pm local time, a 1954 Beech E35, registered N3315C, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Okeechobee, Florida (Okeechobee County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The separation of the throttle control cable from the carburetor throttle control lever resulting in the near total loss of engine power. Contributing to the separation of the throttle cable was the lack of proper securing hardware by unknown maintenance personnel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 2019 · about 5:44 pm local time
- Place
- Okeechobee, Florida · Okeechobee County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech E35 NO SERIES, built 1954 · all E35s on the register
- Registration
- N3315C · no longer on the register · serial D-3981
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While climbing on course shortly after takeoff on a cross-country flight, the engine briefly ran roughly before losing partial power. The private pilot maneuvered the airplane and executed an off airport forced landing with the landing gear retracted. A postimpact fire on the right side of the airplane ensued after it came to rest, and the airplane was destroyed. Examination of the engine following accident revealed the throttle control cable was separated from the intact carburetor throttle control lever. Examination of a bolt with an attached washer, a separate washer, and a castellated nut found in the engine compartment revealed the nut was not self-locking and the tare torque was no greater than 0.2 pound-force-inch. There were no remains of a cotter pin in the recovered drilled bolt. Although the mixture control cable remained attached to the intact mixture control lever, a castellated nut and cotter pin were not attached to the bolt. Further examination of the engine and its systems otherwise revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction; Given this evidence, it is likely that the loss of engine power was due to the separation of the throttle control cable from the carburetor, which rendered sustained flight impossible. A review of the maintenance records indicated that more than 13 months before the accident, the pressure carburetor was overhauled then reinstalled. It was the subject of two scheduled inspections before the accident. The maintenance records did not document any subsequent work to the throttle or mixture control cables. The mechanic indicated that he was certain that the proper hardware to secure the throttle cable to the throttle control lever was installed at carburetor installation and during both subsequent scheduled inspections. Although the nut lacked any appreciable tare torque, it could not be determined when it separated or if the mechanic failed to install a cotter pin to secure the throttle cable to the throttle control lever more than 13 months and a minimum of 192 flight hours earlier. Although possible, it is unlikely that the mechanic would have twice overlooked the lack of proper securing hardware during the subsequent scheduled inspections.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › Fasteners › Not specified
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Damaged/degraded
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 268 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 202 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 4, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,059.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,725 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Spaceport Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: OBE Okeechobee FL at 5:44 pm
- Destination: MTH Marathon FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from OBE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA20LA044.