Beechcraft B36TC N113TM

Summary

On 9 February 2016 at about 01:41 local time, a Beechcraft B36TC registered N113TM was involved in an accident near Santa Barbara, California, United States. One person was on board and one 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

9 February 2016 at 01:41

Classification

Accident

Location

Santa Barbara, California, United States

Nearest airport

Santa Barbara Muni (SBA)

Coordinates

34.4211, -119.8425

Aircraft

Beechcraft B36TC

Registration

N113TM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1983

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Barbara → Santa Barbara

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

WPR16LA066

1 person had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power during initial climbout for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination and testing of the engine did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot was conducting a test flight following a recent replacement of the turbo wastegate controller, at which time the mechanic also tightened the intercooler hose. The pilot reported that, during the ground roll and initial climb, the engine tone was continuous, and both the manifold pressure and rpm indications were normal. As the airplane reached about 300 ft mean sea level, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to restore engine power by switching the fuel tanks and cycling both the "low" and "high" settings of the fuel boost pump but was unsuccessful. He leveled the wings and extended the flaps to prepare for a forced landing, and a few seconds later, the airplane impacted a slough about 1/2 mile southeast of the departure end of the runway. A postaccident examination of the fuel system did not reveal any anomalies or obstructions. Further, examination of the engine did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions, except for the separation of the intercooler from its mounts, which had resulted from the accident. During a test run, the engine was not able to produce rated horsepower until the intercooler was removed; however, the engine was still able to produce normally aspirated engine power with the intercooler installed. The Pilot's Operating Handbook warned against using the "high" fuel boost pump position when the engine-driven fuel pump is operating because it can result in an excessively rich fuel/air mixture and engine failure. Thus, the pilot's attempt to restart the engine with the fuel boost pump at the "high" setting may have prevented engine power from being restored; however, even if engine power had been restored, given the airplane's low altitude when the engine lost power, it is unlikely that the pilot would have had sufficient time to complete a successful engine restart and continue safe flight. The investigation could not determine the reason for the total loss of engine power during initial climbout.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.