Beech C-35 accident near Sheffield, Texas, February 3, 1985
On February 3, 1985 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Beech C-35, registered N5821X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sheffield, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 3, 1985 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sheffield, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C-35 · all C-35s on the register
- Registration
- N5821X · no longer on the register · serial D-2773
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THE ENG FAILED COMPLETELY DURING CRUISE. THE CRANKSHAFT WAS FOUND SEPARATED DURING THE ENG TEARDOWN, WITH THE ROD AND BEARINGS ALSO SEPARATED. METALLURGICAL TESTING REVEALED FRACTURES TO BE FROM FATIGUE. ENG MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY ACCOMPLISHED DURING REPLACEMENT OF PISTONS AND ROD COMPONENTS. RODS HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY ALIGNED, THUS ALLOWING BEARINGS AND CAPS TO RUB AND GROOVE THE CRANKSHAFT, CAUSING THE FAILURE POINT.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,774 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 1,609 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 11, 1984; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,700 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUS Austin TX at 5:30 pm
- Destination: ELP El Paso TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.