Narrative:

Cruised at 8000 ft at 135 mph. When cleared to descend to 4000 ft I pulled manifold back and established a descent rate of approximately 650 FPM. Indicated speed was approximately 155 mph in the descent when tail started to flutter with fairly strong force and accompanied by a low fluttering noise. I reduced the power to idle and dropped the gear. This immediately stopped the flutter. I then stabilized the speed at 120 mph and completed the practice ILS approach, which I considered to be the safest and most controled, as well as quickest way to get the plane on the ground. Landing and taxiing to the ramp was normal and I did not expect to see any damage to the plane. Closer inspection of the tail empennage did demonstrate considerable wrinkling of the empennage skin. I immediately tagged the aircraft as 'do not fly' with a letter sized warning on the yoke and contacted the insurance. I have no idea what caused the flutter as I flew perfectly according to the numbers and was outside the yellow arc. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the vibration or flutter loosened some rivets in the tail cone area. He has been in touch with the NTSB and they found that the elevators were not in balance and the trim tabs were not rigged correctly. The reporter had purchased the aircraft 8 months ago and was not aware of these deficiencies inherent in the 'V' tailed bonanza. He did not know to have the aircraft checked for this problem even though the aircraft association connected to this type aircraft did know of this problem with the B35 aircraft. He has reemphasized the problem with this association. There is available a clearance delivery rom that deals with equipment problems with these 'B' type aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B35 PVT PLT ENCOUNTERS A STRONG VIBRATION IN HIS ACFT DURING A DSCNT AT A SPD SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN CRUISE, 30 MI NW OF JAN, MS.

Narrative: CRUISED AT 8000 FT AT 135 MPH. WHEN CLRED TO DSND TO 4000 FT I PULLED MANIFOLD BACK AND ESTABLISHED A DSCNT RATE OF APPROX 650 FPM. INDICATED SPD WAS APPROX 155 MPH IN THE DSCNT WHEN TAIL STARTED TO FLUTTER WITH FAIRLY STRONG FORCE AND ACCOMPANIED BY A LOW FLUTTERING NOISE. I REDUCED THE PWR TO IDLE AND DROPPED THE GEAR. THIS IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE FLUTTER. I THEN STABILIZED THE SPD AT 120 MPH AND COMPLETED THE PRACTICE ILS APCH, WHICH I CONSIDERED TO BE THE SAFEST AND MOST CTLED, AS WELL AS QUICKEST WAY TO GET THE PLANE ON THE GND. LNDG AND TAXIING TO THE RAMP WAS NORMAL AND I DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE ANY DAMAGE TO THE PLANE. CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE TAIL EMPENNAGE DID DEMONSTRATE CONSIDERABLE WRINKLING OF THE EMPENNAGE SKIN. I IMMEDIATELY TAGGED THE ACFT AS 'DO NOT FLY' WITH A LETTER SIZED WARNING ON THE YOKE AND CONTACTED THE INSURANCE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CAUSED THE FLUTTER AS I FLEW PERFECTLY ACCORDING TO THE NUMBERS AND WAS OUTSIDE THE YELLOW ARC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE VIBRATION OR FLUTTER LOOSENED SOME RIVETS IN THE TAIL CONE AREA. HE HAS BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE NTSB AND THEY FOUND THAT THE ELEVATORS WERE NOT IN BAL AND THE TRIM TABS WERE NOT RIGGED CORRECTLY. THE RPTR HAD PURCHASED THE ACFT 8 MONTHS AGO AND WAS NOT AWARE OF THESE DEFICIENCIES INHERENT IN THE 'V' TAILED BONANZA. HE DID NOT KNOW TO HAVE THE ACFT CHKED FOR THIS PROB EVEN THOUGH THE ACFT ASSOCIATION CONNECTED TO THIS TYPE ACFT DID KNOW OF THIS PROB WITH THE B35 ACFT. HE HAS REEMPHASIZED THE PROB WITH THIS ASSOCIATION. THERE IS AVAILABLE A CD ROM THAT DEALS WITH EQUIP PROBS WITH THESE 'B' TYPE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.