# Accident 19990823013309A: Beech D35, Seminole, OK, August 23, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 23, 1999, 18:54 local time - Place: Seminole, OK - Airport: Seminole Municipal Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Final Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.0805° N, 96.3896° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0805&lon=-96.3896&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2934B, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2934B-2000-05-11) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech D35 (registry code 1151510, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-d35) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH D35 - Reported engine: CONT E2258 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 608 total, 10 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99FA235](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99FA235) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990823013309A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT WAS INBOUND TO THE ARPT WITH AN ENGINE PROBLEM AND ATTEMPTED TO CLEAR HIGH POWER LINES, THE ACFT WENT OVER THE POWER LINES, STALLED, AND CRASHED 50 YARDS FROM A FUEL STATION, THE PILOT/SOLE OCUPANT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. (.19) ON AUGUST 23, 1999, AT APPROXIMATELY 1854 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH D-35 SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE, N2934B, IMPACTED THE TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR SEMINOLE, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY A POST IMPACT FIRE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WHICH DEPARTED TULSA, OKLAHOMA, AT 1813. WITNESSES AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES REPORTED THAT THE PILOT ANNOUNCED "SEMINOLE TRAFFIC LANDING 34"ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED AT AN ESTIMATED ALTITUDE OF 750 FEET AGL APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE SEMINOLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WITH THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED MANEUVERING IN THE VICINITY OF THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 377 AND COUNTY ROAD 119. WITNESSES REPORTED THE ENGINE SPUTTERING AND CUTTING OUT WITH SMOKE COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. SEVERAL WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLYING TO THE WEST OF HIGHWAY 377. THEY REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED BELOW THE HEIGHT OF THE POWER LINES PARALLELING HIGHWAY 377, THEN CLIMBED VERTICALLY AND ROLLED INVERTED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE PASSED OVER THE POWER LINES AND HIGHWAY 377, DESCENDED, AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE EXPLODED UPON IMPACT AND A FIRE ERUPTED. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED AS 98 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, VISIBILITY 10 MILES, HIGH SCATTERED CLOUDS, AND CALM WINDS. SITE EXAMINATION BY THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE REVEALED A FAILURE OF THE #6 CYLINDER PUSH ROD. THE AIRPLANE WAS REMOVED FROM THE SITE AND FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE IS PLANNED. (-23) ON AUGUST 23, 1999, AT APPROX. 1854 CDT, A BEECH BONANZA, ENROUTE FROM TULSA, OK, TO SEMINOLE, OK, DEVELOPED ENGINE TROUBLE AND CRASHED ABOUT ONE MILE NORTHWEST OF H45. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE A/C WAS LOW, HEADING SOUTHWEST, AND THEY COULD HEAR THE ENGINE CUTTING OUT OR RUNNING ROUGH. THE A/C CROSSED ROUTE 99, AND BEGAN TO MAKE A TURN TO THE SOUTH, BUT ALMOST IMMEDIATLEY THEREAFTER IT BEGAN TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND CONTINUED THE RIGHT TURN UNTIL IT HAD DONE A COMPLETE 360 DEGREE TURN. THE A/C WAS NOW HEADING SOUTH AGAIN; IT PULLED UP INTO A STEEP CLIMBING TURN TO THE LEFT, STALLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT TEN FEET FROM THE SHOULDER ON THE EAST SIDE OF ROUTE 99. THE A/C WAS DEMOLISHED BY THE IMPACT, AND POST IMPACT FIRE DESTROYED APPROX. 90% OF THE WRECKAGE. (.4)THE AIRPLANE WAS INBOUND TO THE AIRPORT WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE WHILE MANEUVERING TO AVOID A BUSINESS, TREES, A RESIDENCE, PEOPLE ON THE GROUND, AND POWER LINES. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE AND WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT SEQUENCE, ENSUING EXPLOSION, AND FIRE. A HOLE WAS FOUND IN THE CRANKCASE OF THE CONTINENTAL E-225-8 ENGINE OVER THE #6 CYLINDER, AND THE #6 CONNECTING ROD WAS FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE ROD JOURNAL. AN ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE EXHIBITED A MASSIVE OIL STARVATION EVENT. THE #6 CONNECTING ROD WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT JOURNAL DUE TO THE HEAT OF THE OIL STARVATION EVENT, WHICH RESULTED IN THE FAILURE OF THE CONNECTING ROD BOLTS IN DUCTILE OVERLOAD FROM THE ELEVATED TEMPERATURE. THE REASON FOR THE OIL STARVATION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED BY EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE OR THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE. THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE DESTROYED BY THE POST-IMPACT FIRE, AND THE MAINTENANCE HISTORY FOR THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW99FA235](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99FA235), Aug 23, 1999: Beech D-35 (N2934B), Seminole, OK, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The loss of engine power caused by oil starvation, which resulted in the failure of the #6 cylinder connecting rod bolts. A factor was the pilot's performance of an evasive maneuver to avoid… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.