Beech S35 accident near Flagstaff, Arizona, June 5, 2004
On June 5, 2004 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Beech S35, registered N6127Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Flagstaff, Arizona. 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
oil exhaustion due to a leak from the bottom oil drain line gasket and o-ring for the turbo charger.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2004 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Flagstaff, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech S35 · all S35s on the register
- Registration
- N6127Q · no longer on the register · serial D7569
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with ground obstructions during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. While in cruise flight the pilot observed a decrease in the engine manifold pressure. He adjusted the throttle to increase the manifold pressure, but the pressure continued to drop. He observed that the oil pressure was also low. The pilot declared an emergency and attempted to land at a nearby airport. The engine lost all power about 13 miles northeast of the airport and the pilot performed a forced landing on a highway. During the landing rollout the right wingtip contacted a highway guardrail and the wing was torn off the fuselage. Examination of the engine disclosed that the failure was due to oil exhaustion. The turbocharger oil drain line fitting gasket and o-ring was brittle and was broken. This allowed the oil to leak from the turbo charger, resulting in the loss on engine power.
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: 1,500 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 18, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,650 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2003; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2ED (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 71V Monument Valley UT at 10:15 pm
- Destination: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
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.