- Date
- January 12, 1992, 14:02 local (19:02 UTC)
- Place
- Knoxville, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N185YBeech J-35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920112000969A
- Case key
- 8554
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 manufacturer's failure to provide adequate torque information which resulted in the loss of torque on the cylinder hold down nuts and the complete loss of engine power.
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
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported a severe vibration in the airplane, followed by a complete loss of engine power. An emergency landing was attempted to runway 24R at mcghee tyson airport, but the airplane crashed a mile short of the runway. Examination of the engine assembly revealed that number 1 & 2 cylinders had separated from the engine case. The examination also disclosed that the cylinder hold down studs were damaged and the threads were battered. There was an accumulation of metallic dust associated with fretting adjacent to the cylinder flange and engine case. Several hold down nuts were not recovered for examination. The engine maintenance log showed that the number 1 cylinder was removed and installed in accordance with current service instructions 314 hours prior to this accident. Subsequent to this accident Continental motors issued a service bulletin increasing the hold down torque nut values from 710 inch pound to 810 inch pounds, and changed existing six point hold down nuts to twelve point nuts.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N185Y
- Reported as
- Beech J-35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D5333
- Airframe hours
- 4,510
- Engine
- Continental I0-470-C, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Webster, Gordon
- Registered owner
- Webster, Gordon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 9, 1991 · 98 hours before
- Destination
- RYY · Marietta, GA
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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,100 total · 90 in this make and model · 1,100 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TYS, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.