What happened
On August 27, 2024, at approximately 18:45 mountain daylight time, a Beech J35, registration N8350D, was involved in an accident near Belgrade, Montana. The aircraft was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for a personal flight.
Prior to the accident, a new pitch trim servo had been installed as part of an autopilot system update. The pilot performed a post-maintenance preflight inspection and departed without incident. Approximately 45 minutes after departure, the pilot initiated a straight-in approach to runway 30 at Bozeman-Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 230 degrees at 13 knots.
During the landing flare, the pilot reported that the control yoke jammed. The pilot felt the yoke break free only after increasing aft backpressure. A second jamming event occurred shortly after the pilot attempted to level the aircraft for landing; the yoke again broke free after the pilot applied additional forward movement. This sequence resulted in the aircraft performing a hard landing.
There were no injuries resulting from the accident, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed substantial damage to the lower engine mount structure. Investigators also identified that one of the pitch servo bridle cable clamp assemblies appeared to be binding on the bulkhead assembly at the station 179 control cable tunnel guide.