Beech M35 incident near Ava, Missouri, May 2, 1982
On May 2, 1982 at about 2:25 am local time, a Beech M35, registered N9783R, suffered minor damage in an incident near Ava, Missouri (Bill Martin Memorial airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 1982 · about 2:25 am local time
- Place
- Ava, Missouri · Bill Martin Memorial · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech M35 · all M35s on the register
- Registration
- N9783R · registry record · serial D 6488
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FROM PRYOR, OK TO AVA, MO, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE AS A RESULT OF A LOOSE ALTERNATOR BELT AND A DEPLETED BATTERY. ON ARRIVAL AT HIS DESTINATION, THE PILOT SELECTED GEAR DOWN WITH THE NORMAL EXTENSION HANDLE AND IMMEDIATELY LOST WHAT REMAINED OF HIS ELECTRICAL POWER. HE THEN EXTENDED THE GEAR USING THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION CRANK. ON TOUCHDOWN THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND FOLDED BACK INTO THE WHEEL WELL. EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM BY AN A&P MECHANIC REVEALED NO ABNORMALITIES IN EITHER THE NORMAL OR EMERGENCY EXTENSION SYSTEMS. HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE ALTERNATOR BELT WAS LOOSE AND THE BATTERY WAS DEPLETED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,037 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 1,936 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Pryor OK at 7:50 pm
- Destination: Ava MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 158°F (70°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MKC82IA070.