# NTSB WPR24LA323: Beech J35, N8350D, Belgrade, MT, August 28, 2024

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: August 27, 2024, 18:45 local (Aug 28, 2024, 00:45 UTC)
- Place: Belgrade, MT · 
Airport runway
- Coordinates: 45.777236, -111.15026
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.7772&lon=-111.1503&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092)
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 195322
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR24LA323
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/195322/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA323

## Preliminary report

On August 27, 2024, about 1845 mountain daylight time, a Beech J35, N8350D, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Belgrade, Montana. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, a new pitch trim servo was recently installed as part of the autopilot system update on the airplane prior to the accident flight. The pilot completed a post-maintenance preflight and departed without incident. The pilot started that he conducted a straight-in approach to runway 30 at Bozeman-Yellowstrone International Airport, Bozeman, Montana, about 45-minutes after departure. During the landing flare, he felt the control yoke "jam up" and that it felt as though it "broke free" when he increased aft backpressure on the yoke. The control yoke "jammed up" a second time shortly after the pilot attempted to level the aircraft for landing, and when he applied additional forward movement, the control yoke "broke free" again. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard. A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the lower engine mount structure was substantially damage. Additionally, one of the pitch servo bridle cable clamp assemblies (figure 1) appeared to be binding on bulkhead assembly, station 179, a control cable tunnel guide. Figure 1. View of bridle cable clamp slightly aft of the bulkhead assembly at station 179. The airplane was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

## Sequence of events

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

- [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Beech J35, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=1151522), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N8350D](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8350D), registered now, S/N D-5444, built 1958 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH J35
- Registry model: [Beech J35](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-j35) (registry code 1151522) (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-5444
- Year built: 1958
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Departed: BIL, Billings, MT
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: BZN, Bozeman Yellowstone Intl

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 230° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observed at: KBZN, 1 nm away
- METAR: KBZN 280056Z 23013G20KT 10SM CLR 27/00 A2991 RMK AO2 PK WND 25026/0017 SLP099 T02720000=

## 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 20240827014329A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240827014329A), Aug 27, 2024: Beech J35, Bozeman, MT, Substantial damage. Pilot departed billings after avionics maintenance. After cancelling auto pilot on final approach into Bozeman, pilot reported that the aircraft went “hard…

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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