Beechcraft 35-C33 N866P

Summary

On 21 March 2012 at about 15:30 local time, a Beechcraft 35-C33 registered N866P was involved in an accident near St. George, Utah, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 March 2012 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

St. George, Utah, United States

Coordinates

37.1028, -113.5625

Aircraft

Beechcraft 35-C33

Registration

N866P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St. George → Mesa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA147

Nobody was injured.

The total loss of engine power due to the loose mixture control arm.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while in cruise flight, the engine’s exhaust gas temperature was hotter than normal and that the fuel flow was lower than normal. Suddenly, all engine power was lost and despite multiple attempts, he was unable to restart the engine. During the subsequent forced landing, the pilot landed the airplane gear up on a road. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the mixture control arm was loose on the control shaft and the nut that secured the control arm to the shaft was loose. The mixture control arm machined chamfer had formed splines and exhibited deformation and movement of material. The nut and control arm mating surfaces showed corresponding rub marks. It is likely that the loose mixture control arm and the vibration of the engine allowed for the mixture control shaft to rotate to an idle cut-off position, thus resulting in the loss of engine power. No evidence of any additional mechanical malfunctions was found during the engine examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.