# NTSB ERA25LA269: Beech K35, N5353E, Sylacauga, AL, July 16, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: July 16, 2025, 14:02 local (19:02 UTC)
- Place: Sylacauga, AL · Wooded Area
- Coordinates: 33.17288, -86.32262 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.1729&lon=-86.3226&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: Textron Aviation, FAA/FSDO, Continental Aerospace Technologies
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200556
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA25LA269
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200556/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA269

## Preliminary report

On July 16, 2025, at 1402 central standard time, a Beech K35, N5353E, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Sylacauga, Alabama. The private pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, the airplane had a remanufactured engine installed about 30 hours prior to the accident. The remanufactured engine had experienced maintenance issues with the magnetos, spark plug fouling, and abnormal cylinder temperatures with the number four cylinder. Maintenance personnel replaced all of the spark plugs with new spark plugs and maintenance runups were conducted that showed no abnormal operation. After departing on the accident flight, about an hour into the flight, the pilot reported that the number one cylinder head temperature dropped below 300 degrees and was accompanied by a “high” exhaust gas temperature. The pilot contacted air traffic control and attempted to divert to Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (GAD), Gadsden, Alabama. The engine began to run rough and the pilot cycled the ignition switch with no change. The pilot declared an emergency, and he was given radar vectors to Merkel Field Sylacauga Municipal Airport (SCD), Sylacauga, Alabama. The airplane could not maintain altitude and he conducted a forced landing into wooded terrain about 1-mile west of SCD. The airplane came to rest inverted and both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage sustained substantial damage. The wreckage was recovered and retained for further examination.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Beech K35, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=1151524), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N5353E](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5353E), registered now, S/N D-5856, built 1959 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH K35
- Registry model: [Beech K35](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-k35) (registry code 1151524) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental I0-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (registry code 17027, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: D-5856
- Year built: 1959
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Business, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility
- Last inspection: Annual, May 1, 2025
- Departed: PNS, Pensacola, FL
- Destination: LEX, Lexington, KY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: SCD, Merkel Fld Sylacauga Muni
- Equipment: Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 100° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 9,500 ft overcast
- Temperature: 90 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observed at: SCD, 1 nm away
- METAR: METAR KSCD 161855Z AUTO 10010G14KT 10SM SCT042 SCT065 OVC095 32/22 A3004 RMK AO2 T03180218=

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250716010639A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250716010639A), Jul 16, 2025: Beech K35, Sylacauga, AL, Substantial damage. On 07/16/2025 at approximetly 1902Z pilot reported a rough running engine to ATC and ATC diverted pilot to sylaguaga airport (scd). Pilot was unable to make…

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.

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