Beechcraft A36 N191MK

Summary

On 15 May 2009 at about 16:42 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N191MK was involved in an accident near Beauregard, Alabama, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 died, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 May 2009 at 16:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Beauregard, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

32.5497, -85.4019

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N191MK

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Destin → Newnan

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09FA289

2 people died.

The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was on the second leg of his cross-country flight, after picking up three passengers at the intermediate airport. The passengers stated that while cruising at 7,000 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot was able to restart the engine but it lost power again. The pilot rearranged the aft passengers into the aft facing seats, and then performed a forced landing to a pasture, during which the airplane collided with trees and a large rolled bale of hay. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the fuel selector valve was selected to the right fuel tank and the fuel drain on the selector valve was opened and there was no fuel present. The right tip tank was breached but contained about 4.5 gallons of fuel. The right main fuel tank was breached and no fuel was observed. The left main fuel tank bladder remained intact and was not leaking; approximately 1 quart of fuel was drained from the tank. The left wing tip tank was found separated from the wing; the tip tank was breached but contained approximately 1/2 gallon of fuel. No evidence of fuel leakage or browned grass was observed. Functional testing of the engine and fuel selector valve revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies. During the functional test of the engine, the fuel supply was intentionally interrupted by turning off the test cell fuel valve and by the disconnection of the fuel pump hose supple quick-disconnect. In both cases, after engine function ceased, fuel was present in the fuel control inlet and outlet lines. Witnesses stated that prior to the accident flight; the daughter of the pilot was seen draining what was later measured to be 25.4 gallons of fuel from the main tanks. At the time when the cross-country flight started, the airplane had approximately 48.6 gallons of fuel in the main tanks and 10 gallons of fuel in each of the tip tanks. According to performance calculations made during the investigation, the engine would have burned at least 48.6 gallons of fuel at the time the engine lost power, confirming that the pilot never utilized the fuel remaining in the tip tanks.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.