Beech D-35 accident near Seminole, Oklahoma, August 23, 1999
On August 23, 1999 at about 11:54 pm local time, a Beech D-35, registered N2934B, was destroyed in an accident near Seminole, Oklahoma (Seminole Municipal airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power caused by oil starvation, which resulted in the failure of the #6 cylinder connecting rod bolts. A factor was the pilot's performance of an evasive maneuver to avoid impacting buildings, trees, people on the ground, and power lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1999 · about 11:54 pm local time
- Place
- Seminole, Oklahoma · Seminole Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D-35 · all D-35s on the register
- Registration
- N2934B · no longer on the register · serial D-3575
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was inbound to the airport when the engine lost power. Subsequently, the pilot lost control of the airplane while maneuvering to avoid a business, trees, a residence, people on the ground, and power lines. The airplane impacted the terrain in a nose low attitude and was destroyed by the impact sequence, ensuing explosion, and fire. A hole was found in the crankcase of the Continental E-225-8 engine over the #6 cylinder, and the #6 connecting rod was found separated from the rod journal. An engine teardown revealed that the engine exhibited a massive oil starvation event. The #6 connecting rod was disconnected from the crankshaft journal due to the heat of the oil starvation event, which resulted in the failure of the connecting rod bolts in ductile overload from the elevated temperature. The reason for the oil starvation could not be determined by examination of the engine or the airplane wreckage. The maintenance records were destroyed by the post-impact fire, and the maintenance history for the engine could not be determined.
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: 608 hours in all; 10 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 30, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 2,725 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TUL Tulsa OK at 11:13 pm
- Destination: H45
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 5,007 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.