Beech M-35 accident near Marshall, Missouri, April 20, 1986
On April 20, 1986 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Beech M-35, registered N9726R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marshall, Missouri (Marshall Memorial Muni. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 1986 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Marshall, Missouri · Marshall Memorial Muni. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech M-35 · all M-35s on the register
- Registration
- N9726R · no longer on the register · serial D-6199
- 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 ALL THE TANKS WERE FULL WHEN HE DEPARTED SPRINGDALE, ARKANSAS AND HE FLEW EN ROUTE FOR ONE HOUR ON THE LEFT TANK AND THIRTY MINUTES ON THE AUXILIARY TANK. THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED ROUTINELY EN ROUTE AND DURING LETDOWN TO THE MARSHALL AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN WHERE, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE SWITCHED BACK TO THE LEFT MAIN TANK. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PILOT FURTHER STATED, HE FELT A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND COULD NOT GET A RESTART AND HE RAISED THE FLAPS TO INCREASE THE GLIDING DISTANCE BUT THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT ON A CULTIVATED PLOT INSIDE THE AIRPORT BETWEEN THE PERIMETER AND THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS FULL AND THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY AND ALSO THAT THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM OPERATED NORMALLY.
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
- Flight time: 647 hours in all; 163 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 574 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,708 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 17, 1986; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: H37 Springdale AR at 5:30 pm
- Destination: MHL Marshall MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,900 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; not recorded at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from COU, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.