- Date
- December 25, 2002, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hollywood, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4268BBeech F-35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Fort Lauderdale FSDO
- FAA report
- 20021225035919A
- Case key
- 56333
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot exceeded the design limits of the airplane which resulted in an in flight structural failure.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the pilot, while descending from 3,500 feet at 180 knots indicated airspeed, the airplane began to vibrate. The pilot reduced power and raised the nose of the airplane to slow the airplane down. The pilot continued the descent at 120 MPH. The airplane landed without any further incident. During the post landing inspection of the airplane, the pilot found that the empennage aft of the rear bulkhead had substantial wrinkling near the horizontal stabilizers.
Factual narrative
On December 25, 2002, at 1130 eastern standard time, a Beech F-35, Bonanza N4268B, registered to a private individual, experienced an airframe vibration while descending out of 3,500 feet 25 miles west of the Hollywood North Perry Airport in Hollywood, Florida. The air transport pilot slowed the airplane and landed at the Hollywood North Perry Airport without further incident. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot and passenger were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight departed Wings South Airpark, Naples, Florida, at 1045.
According to the pilot, while descending from 3,500 feet at 180 knots indicated airspeed for landing at the Hollywood airport the airplane began to vibrate. The pilot reduced power and raised the nose of the airplane to slow the airplane down. The pilot reduced the speed of the airplane to 120 MPH. The airplane landed without any further incident. During the post landing inspection of the airplane, the pilot found that the empennage aft of the rear bulkhead had substantial wrinkling near the horizontal stabilizers.
The F35 Pilot's Operating Handbook Limitation Section II, page 2-4, Airspeed Limitations lists the Vc airspeed as 173 MPH.
Examination of the airplane revealed no corrosion or unusual cracks in the rear fuselage area. Both sides of the rear fuselage was buckled. The buckling extended from the bottom rear corner of the left side access panel to the right and left side elevator attachment points. The fuselage bottom skin was torn loose from its rivet attachment point. The right side B-stringer, which joins the rear fuselage right side and the right side of the bottom skin, was buckled inward.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4268B
- Reported as
- Beech F-35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-4241
- Airframe hours
- 3,778
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental E-225-8, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 5, 2002 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- FA37 · Naples, FL
- Destination
- HWO · Hollywood, FL
- Airport
- HWO · North Perry Hollywood
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 77
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 30,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- HWO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.