Beech 35 accident near Deer Park, Washington, May 3, 2019
On May 3, 2019 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1947 Beech 35, registered N2839V, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Deer Park, Washington (Deer Park airport). 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
An empennage flutter event for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 2019 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Deer Park, Washington · Deer Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 Undesignat, built 1947 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N2839V · no longer on the register · serial D-244
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was practicing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings when, shortly after departure while climbing through about 400 ft above ground level in a right turn, he heard a loud bang and felt a vibration. The vibration ceased, and the pilot continued to his intended destination with no other anomalies noted. Substantial damage to the aft right fuselage was discovered during postflight inspection. Examination of the aft fuselage revealed that the fuselage skin exhibited diagonal buckling, several stringers were bent or deformed, and several bulkheads were damaged. Opposing diagonal buckles or skin fractures in an “X” pattern were noted at several locations on the fuselage skin, coincident with a stringer or bulkhead location. No obvious damage was noted to the left side of the fuselage. The damage to the airplane was consistent with an empennage flutter event; however, in the absence of additional information, the cause of the flutter event could not be determined.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft structural failure during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Fuselage main structure › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 875 hours in all; 835 in this make and model; 8.3 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental E185-11 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DEW Deer Park WA at 6:29 pm
- Destination: DEW Deer Park WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on December 7, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspection Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record - NTSB Structures Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N2839V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.