Beechcraft J35 N3028C
14 August 1991 · San Jose, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 14 August 1991 at about 01:15 local time, a Beechcraft J35 registered N3028C, operated by DTB Aviation, was involved in an accident near San Jose, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- San Jose, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 37.3290, -121.8294
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft J35
- Registration
- N3028C
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- DTB Aviation
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Hollister
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX91LA358
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
THE FAILURE OF THE CRANKSHAFT COUNTERWEIGHT RETAINING CLIP DUE TO IMPROPER MAINTENANCE INSTALLATION OF THE PART.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE ENGINE WAS OVERHAULED AND MODIFIED ABOUT SIX OPERATING HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WITH A NEW TYPE OF CAM SHAFT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS IN LEVEL CRUISE WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD BANG EMANATE FROM THE ENGINE CONCURRENTLY WITH IT STOPPING. AN INITIAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT ON SITE BY FAA INSPECTORS REVEALED THAT OIL COVERED THE WIND SHIELD. THE NUMBER TWO CYLINDER ROD WAS OBSERVED TO BE PROTRUDING FROM A HOLE IN THE TOP OF THE ENGINE CASE. ONE COUNTER WEIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND MISSING FROM THE CRANKSHAFT COUNTERWEIGHT BLADE. THE MISSING COUNTERWEIGHT, COVER PLATES, RETAINING CIR-CLIPS, AND ASSOCIATED BUSHINGS WERE FOUND IN THE OIL PAN. OPTICAL EXAMINATION OF THE RECOVERED PIECES REVEALED THAT THE RETAINING CIR-CLIP FAILED, ALLOWING THE COUNTER WEIGHT PIN AND THE WEIGHT ITSELF TO SEPARATE FROM THE CRANKSHAFT. THE INSPECTOR DETERMINED THAT THE CIR-CLIP HAD BEEN INSTALLED BACKWARDS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Beechcraft J35 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 May 1991 | Beechcraft J35 | Chinle, Arizona, United States | Carrot & Gibbs, Ltd. | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Aug 1991 | Beechcraft J35 | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | Wisian, George R. & Linda B. | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Aug 1990 | Beechcraft J35 | Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States | Walton, Harold E. | Fatal | 2 |
| 5 Sep 1994 | Beechcraft J35 | Crockett, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Aug 1995 | Beechcraft J35 | Englewood, Colorado, United States | Candice A. Stewart | No injuries | - |
| 26 Nov 1987 | Beechcraft J35 | Knolls, Utah, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jul 1991 | Cessna C-172P | Hesperia, California, United States | South Bay Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1991 | Cessna 172N | Napa, California, United States | Bridgeford Flying SVC. | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1991 | Beechcraft 76 | Sacramento, California, United States | Altair Aviation Corp. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1991 | Ayres S2R | Visalia, California, United States | Gilbert Aviation Industries | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1991 | Cessna 421C | Auburn, California, United States | Edward Mueller | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Champion 7GCBC | Lake Elsinore, California, United States | Halbeisen, John F | Fatal | 2 |