Beechcraft A36 N1809S

Summary

On 5 July 2019 at about 18:41 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N1809S was involved in an accident near Chebanse, Illinois, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured, 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

5 July 2019 at 18:41

Classification

Accident

Location

Chebanse, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Greater Kankakee (IKK)

Coordinates

40.9919, -87.8356

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N1809S

Category

Airplane

Year built

1981

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Smyrna → Bolingbrook

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19FA210

1 person died.

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 reported that, during a cross-country flight, while in cruise altitude at 3,000 ft mean sea level, the engine lost power. He subsequently performed a forced landing to a muddy wheat field. Examination at the site revealed that the left and right main fuel tanks were intact; the left tank was empty and the right tank contained about 25 gallons. The wing tip tanks were breached during the accident, but burns in the field were indicative of fuel being in the wing tip tanks at the time they were breached. The fuel selector was found in the left tank position. Further examination revealed that the fuel line from the fuel selector to the engine-driven fuel pump contained no fuel. A test run of the engine revealed no anomalies. Given the absence of fuel in the left tank, the position of the fuel selector at the accident site, and the engine's nominal performance during a postaccident test run, it is likely that the engine consumed all of the available fuel in the left fuel tank, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent total loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.