Beech B35 accident near Kissimmee, Florida, June 29, 1996
On June 29, 1996 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Beech B35, registered N5136C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kissimmee, Florida. 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
the pilot was operating the airplane at an indicated airspeed that exceeded the design speed for maximum gust intensity (VB), when clear air turbulence was encountered.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 1996 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kissimmee, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B35 · all B35s on the register
- Registration
- N5136C · registry record · serial D-2421
- 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 while descending at an indicated airspeed of 170 miles per hour (mph), the flight encountered moderate to severe clear air turbulence. He then felt a momentary vibration through the airframe and reduced power. He continued toward the planned destination and made an uneventful landing. Postlanding inspection of the airframe revealed that the rear bulkhead was cracked and that both stabilators and both ruddervators were damaged. The ruddervators were removed and found to be within prescribed limits for static balance checks. Regarding airspeed, the flight manual for the airplane indicated that the beginning of the caution range (VB) was 164 mph.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 1,600 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 12,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,890 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 7, 1995; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-185-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFLL Fort Lauderdale FL at 12:30 pm
- Destination: KLEE Leesburg FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from MCO, 18 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.