Beech G35 accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, January 9, 1995
On January 9, 1995 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Beech G35, registered N32TS, was destroyed in an accident near West Palm Beach, Florida. 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
Improper top overhaul by maintenance personnel, and improperly torqued crackcase thru-bolts and cylinder deck studs at the number one cylinder, which led to fatigue failure of four of the bolts, failure and/or separation of the number one cylinder, and a subsequent fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 9, 1995 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- West Palm Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech G35 · all G35s on the register
- Registration
- N32TS · registry record · serial D4643
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was seen flying erratically, in a rapid descent, with smoke coming from the engine compartment and flames coming from the airplane's right side. Subsequently, the airplane crashed/landed and burned. An investigation revealed that the #1 cylinder had separated from the engine. Examination of the #1 cylinder revealed the upper crankcase thru-bolt at the 10 o'clock position had failed in fatigue below the cylinder deck surface. The lower thru-bolt at the cylinder pad's 8 o'clock position was intact; however, the nut was missing and the threads were battered and polished. The cylinder had 6 deck studs in addition to the thru-bolts. The studs at the 11 and 1 o'clock positions were missing; the studs at the 5 and 7 o'clock positions failed in fatigue; and the studs at the 2 and 4 o'clock positions were fractured with the fractured ends battered. Also, a silicon sealant (RTV) had been used on the thru-bolt threads, though not recommended by the manufacturer. The remaining thru-bolts were examined for tightness using a torque wrench; all were found undertorqued. During a top overhaul of the engine, about 85 flight hours before the accident, all of the cylinders had been removed and reinstalled.
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: 250 hours in all; 78 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,116 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 31, 1994; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,775 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental E-225-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHK Pahokee FL
- Destination: Wellington FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from PBI, 20 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.