Beechcraft B36TC N6791P

Summary

On 11 April 2000 at about 19:07 local time, a Beechcraft B36TC registered N6791P was involved in an accident near Fullerton, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 April 2000 at 19:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Fullerton, California, United States

Nearest airport

Fullerton Municipal (FUL)

Coordinates

33.8667, -117.9667

Aircraft

Beechcraft B36TC

Registration

N6791P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fullerton → Van Nuys

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX00FA151

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while in the traffic pattern, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing factor was the pilot's diverted attention with the loss of engine power from his inadvertent activation of the auxiliary fuel pump, and the open cabin door.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The single engine airplane impacted a house after experiencing a loss of control while returning to land. The commercial pilot reported to air traffic controllers that the cabin door came open during takeoff. The pilot was attempting to return the airplane to the departure runway when the air traffic controller heard the pilot's voice say, "Emergency, I've got . . ." Witnesses observed black smoke emanating from the exhaust stack. One witness observed the airplane flying low and slow at a high angle of attack with the landing gear extended. He then observed the airplane stall and spin, rotating 1.5 times before losing site of the airplane. Another witness, who was located near the accident site, stated the engine stopped making noise prior to the accident. The airplane impacted a power line and home in a residential area. No anomalies were noted with the airplane and engine that would have prevented its operation; however, the engine did display signatures of operation with an excessively rich mixture. The auxiliary fuel pump, which was unguarded and located adjacent to the landing gear selector switch, was found in the HI position. Operation with the auxiliary fuel pump in the HI position, with an operative engine-driven fuel pump, can result in a complete loss of engine power once the pilot reduced power for landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.