Beech S-35 accident near Wolf Point, Montana, February 11, 1995
On February 11, 1995, a Beech S-35, registered N8828M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wolf Point, Montana. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 LOSS OF POWER DUE TO LOST OIL PRESSURE AND A FAILED CONNECTING ROD. FACTORS INCLUDE FENCE POSTS AND DUSK LIGHTING CONDITIONS WHICH LIMITED VISIBILITY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 1995
- Place
- Wolf Point, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech S-35 · all S-35s on the register
- Registration
- N8828M · registry record · serial D-7349
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT NOTED A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, WHICH HE MONITORED. THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGHLY AFTER ONE TO THREE MINUTES, AND HE ELECTED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE CHOSE A LEVEL SPOT FOR THE FORCED LANDING, BUT IT WAS GETTING DARK AND HE DIDN'T SEE A BARBED WIRE FENCE ACROSS THE LANDING SITE. HE DID NOT SEE THE FENCE POSTS UNTIL FLARING FOR A LANDING. THE RIGHT WING STRUCK TWO FENCE POSTS, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED THAT A CONNECTING ROD FAILED. THE ENGINE HAD FIVE HOURS SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,691 hours in all; 476 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 3,398 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,590 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 1995; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA10B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GGW Glasgow MT
- Destination: OLF
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 350° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 7°F (-14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:26 am from OLF
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.