- Date
- August 25, 1991, 12:56 local (17:56 UTC)
- Place
- Tulsa, OK
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N817RBeech K35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910825036529A
- Case key
- 23278
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
Total power loss due to failure of the crankshaft bearings and connecting rod cap bolts resulting from the maintenance facilities' failure to overhaul the engine. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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
During routine maintenance, the engine was run up to full power with the airplane tow bar attached. As the nose strut compressed, the propeller struck the tow bar. A service bulletin addresses this issue stating that the engine should be disassembled and inspected for damage. The maintenance facility did not advise the owner of the extent of the damage incurred. As a result of the propeller strike, the crankshaft main bearings rotated in the saddles, failing mechanically. This resulted in the blockage of oil passages and the subsequent failure of the number two cylinder connecting rod cap bolts. Total engine failure resulted. Suitable terrain for the forced landing was not available. Impact occurred in soft cultivated terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N817R
- Reported as
- Beech K35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- DG015
- Airframe hours
- 3,090
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-C, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hershel Maurer
- Registered owner
- Hershel Maurer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1990 · 86 hours before
- Departed
- SGF · Springfield, MO
- Destination
- HSD · Sundance, OK
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 52
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 376 total · 115 in this make and model · 282 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.