19951025041339I

Incident

FAA incident report · Beech S35 · Deming, NM · October 25, 1995

Date: October 25, 1995 · 08:00 local
Place: Deming, NM
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N8908U
Reported as: Beech S35
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 8,320 total2,000 in this make and model23 in the last 90 days

N8908URegistered now · Beech S35S/N D-7908 · Built 1965 Airframe modelBeech S35 Engine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on October 25,1995 at 10:05 CST, a Beech 35, N8908U was in level flight when the engine backfired and the pilot experienced extreme vibration. The pilot was in the process of shutting the engine off when two more successive backfires were heard by the pilot. The pilot transmitted a distress call which was received by a nearby Learjet who confirmed his position and notified air traffic. Subsequently, the pilot executed a successful off-airport landing on a smooth, level, dry lake bed without further incident. On-scene investigation revealed the #3 cylinder was severely cracked.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON OCTOBER 25,1995 AT 10:05 CST, A BEECH 35, N8908U WAS IN LEVEL FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE BACKFIRED AND THE PILOT EXPERIENCED EXTREME VIBRATION. THE PILOT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF WHEN TWO MORE SUCCESSIVE BACKFIRES WERE HEARD BY THE PILOT. THE PILOT TRANSMITTED A DISTRESS CALL WHICH WAS RECEIVED BY A NEARBY LEARJET WHO CONFIRMED HIS POSITION AND NOTIFIED AIR TRAFFIC. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PILOT EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL OFF-AIRPORT LANDING ON A SMOOTH, LEVEL, DRY LAKE BED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE #3 CYLINDER WAS SEVERELY CRACKED.