Beech 35 accident near Mckinney, Texas, May 29, 1994
On May 29, 1994, a Beech 35, registered N3956N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mckinney, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE AILERONS BEING LOCKED BY A FOREIGN OBJECT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 1994
- Place
- Mckinney, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N3956N · no longer on the register · serial D-1216
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AGL, THE AILERONS BECAME LOCKED AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RETURN THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEVEL FLIGHT ATTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE, CONFIGURED WITH THE LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS RETRACTED, ENTERED A LEFT SPIRAL, COMPLETING TWO 360 DEGREE TURNS PRIOR TO IMPACTING IN A WHEAT FIELD. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A BRASS ALLOY FOREIGN OBJECT ENTERED THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTROL WHEEL THROUGH AN OPEN INSPECTION WINDOW IN THE BACK SIDE OF THE SINGLE THROWOVER TYPE CONTROL YOKE. THE FOREIGN OBJECT, WHICH WAS NOT RECOVERED, BECAME TRAPPED BETWEEN THE SPROCKET AND THE CHAIN, LOCKING THE AILERONS.
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
- Flight time: 1,350 hours in all; 340 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,850 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 30, 1993; 250 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-185-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from DAL, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.