Beech C35 accident near Ocklawaha, Florida, September 24, 1993
On September 24, 1993 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Beech C35, registered N5936C, was destroyed in an accident near Ocklawaha, Florida (Woods And Lakes Airpark airport). It was a personal 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
FAILURE OF A PROPELLER BLADE FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON, AND FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: LOW PASS PERFORMED BY THE PILOT, AND HIS POSSIBLE IMPAIRMENT FROM CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 24, 1993 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Ocklawaha, Florida · Woods And Lakes Airpark
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C35 · all C35s on the register
- Registration
- N5936C · no longer on the register · serial D-3297
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO TEST THE AIRPLANE'S RADIOS. THE PILOT'S WIFE WAS AT THE AIRPARK WITH A PORTABLE VHF RADIO. ACCORDING TO HER, THE AIRPLANE ORBITED THE AIRPARK ABOUT 5 TIMES, THEN FLEW TOWARD AN AREA THE PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED TO HER AS A POSSIBLE FORCED LANDING AREA. SHE SAID THE PILOT CONTACTED HER & ADVISED OF A 'PROBLEM WITH THE PROPELLER.' FOUR WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE MANEUVERING AT LOW ALTITUDE. THEY INDICATED THE PLANE PULLED UP FROM NEAR TREETOP LEVEL, THEN IT ENTERED A DESCENT, HIT TREES, CRASHED & BURNED. ONE WITNESS SAID THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS RUNNING ROUGH; ANOTHER STATED THE ENGINE POWER STOPPED BEFORE THE AIRPLANE PITCHED NOSE DOWN. NO PREIMPACT FAILURE OF THE ENGINE WAS FOUND. AN EXAM REVEALED THAT 1 OF 2 PROPELLER BLADES HAD SEPARATED DURING THE SEQUENCE. A BRONZE BLADE BUSHING FOR THE SEPARATED BLADE WAS NOT LOCATED. TESTS FOR ETHANOL REVEALED 0.03 GM% IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD, 0.05 GM% IN VITREOUS FLUID, AND 0.05 GM% IN HIS URINE. ALSO, 32 MG/DL OF ACETALDEHYDE WAS DETECTED IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,576 hours in all; 11 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 4,471 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 12, 1993; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,700 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-185-11 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 36X at 7:50 pm
- Destination: 36X
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from GNV, 40 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.