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| Date: | Monday 9 January 1995 |
| Time: | 18:50 LT |
| Type: |  Beechcraft G35 Bonanza |
| Owner/operator: | Jose Pineda |
| Registration: | N32TS |
| MSN: | D4643 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1956 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4116 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental E-225-8 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | West Palm Beach, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Pahokee, FL (KPHK) |
| Wellington, FL | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane was seen flying erratically, in a rapid descent, with smoke coming from the engine compartment and flames coming from the airplane's right side. Subsequently, the airplane crashed/landed and burned. An investigation revealed that the #1 cylinder had separated from the engine. Examination of the #1 cylinder revealed the upper crankcase thru-bolt at the 10 o'clock position had failed in fatigue below the cylinder deck surface. The lower thru-bolt at the cylinder pad's 8 o'clock position was intact; however, the nut was missing and the threads were battered and polished. The cylinder had 6 deck studs in addition to the thru-bolts. The studs at the 11 and 1 o'clock positions were missing; the studs at the 5 and 7 o'clock positions failed in fatigue; and the studs at the 2 and 4 o'clock positions were fractured with the fractured ends battered. Also, a silicon sealant (RTV) had been used on the thru-bolt threads, though not recommended by the manufacturer. The remaining thru-bolts were examined for tightness using a torque wrench; all were found undertorqued. During a top overhaul of the engine, about 85 flight hours before the accident, all of the cylinders had been removed and reinstalled.
Probable Cause: Improper top overhaul by maintenance personnel, and improperly torqued crackcase thru-bolts and cylinder deck studs at the number one cylinder, which led to fatigue failure of four of the bolts, failure and/or separation of the number one cylinder, and a subsequent fire.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB NYC95FA049
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 09-Apr-2024 17:08 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Cn, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
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