Beechcraft G36 N618MW

Summary

On 15 July 2009 at about 23:20 local time, a Beechcraft G36 registered N618MW, operated by Carpet Pros, Inc., was involved in an accident near Hawthorne, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 July 2009 at 23:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Hawthorne, California, United States

Nearest airport

Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR)

Coordinates

33.9208, -118.3383

Aircraft

Beechcraft G36

Registration

N618MW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Carpet Pros, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hawthorne → Hawthorne

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR09FA347

3 people died.

The pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during a go-around, which resulted in a loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the inadvertent activation of the fuel boost pump during the attempted go-around.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While on final approach during the accident landing, the pilot informed air traffic control tower personnel that he was going to perform a go-around but gave no explanation for the maneuver. Witnesses observed the airplane climbing westbound ”belching” black smoke, then the engine stopped. When the airplane was about midfield, they saw it turn left and then back to the right and descend out of sight. The airplane impacted the roof and a vertical wall of a five-story building before coming to rest in an adjacent parking lot. Postaccident examination of the engine’s spark plugs and cylinders indicated that the engine was running with an overly rich fuel/air mixture, which was also evident from the witness statements of the black exhaust emanating from the airplane. The electric fuel boost pump switch is located next to the landing gear selection handle. According to the G36 Pilot Operating Handbook, the engine’s electric boost pump provides pressure for starting and emergency operation only. The handbook cautions that use of the electric boost pump during normal operations can result in an overly rich fuel/air mixture, possibly flooding the engine. If either pilot inadvertently activated the fuel boost pump while attempting to retract the landing gear during the go-around, it could have resulted in a temporarily rich fuel/air mixture, reducing the available engine power and possibly distracting the pilots during the go-around. Although, the examination revealed that the electric fuel boost pump system switch was in the “OFF” position and that the pump was not operating at the time of impact, it is possible that the pilots recognized that the electric fuel boost pump system was on during the go-around and switched it off before the crash. The position of the switch and the reduced engine power likely distracted the pilot, who did not maintain adequate airspeed during the go-around, which resulted in a loss of control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.