Beech F35 accident near Jackson, Mississippi, May 7, 2000
On May 7, 2000 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Beech F35, registered N35WK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jackson, Mississippi. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
improper rigging of the rudder/elevators and differential mechanism assembly by unknown person(s), which resulting in what the pilot describes as inflight flutter of the tail section, which resulted in damage to the aft empennage area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 2000 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F35 · all F35s on the register
- Registration
- N35WK · registry record · serial D4366
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he reduced the manifold pressure to 16 inches, and trimmed the airplane for a 650 feet per minute rate of descent, which increased the airspeed to about 155-160 mph indicated airspeed. He said the aircraft was stabilized at that speed, and he never exceeded that airspeed at anytime. He said the flight was in smooth air also, and all of a sudden, the ruddervators and whole tail started to "flutter" without any advance warning. He said he heard a "woofing" noise at perhaps a 1.5 to 2.0 hertz frequency, but further stated that not much shaking could be felt. He said he then reduced manifold pressure to idle, lowered the gear, trying to minimize control movements on the tail. After the speed was reduced, the pilot said that the "flutter" stopped. He said the total time the "flutter" occurred was about 5 seconds. He said at that time, he had nearly leveled the aircraft, and the speed had stabilized at 120 mph. According to the pilot, after an otherwise uneventful landing, he parked the aircraft and conducted a walk-around inspection, noting that there was extensive damage in the area of the aft empennage. The aircraft was examined and repaired by Trim-Aire Inc., Mexia, Texas, and the technician at Trim-Aire found that the empennage flight controls were out of rigging limits.
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 444 hours in all; 88 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 375 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,803 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 5, 1999; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MAW Malden MO at 7:40 pm
- Destination: JAN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 183°F (84°C), dew point 147°F (64°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from JAN, 340 miles away
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.