Beechcraft A36 N8014T

Summary

On 8 June 2019 at about 13:14 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N8014T, operated by Ri Aviation Services Llc, was involved in an accident near Southold, New York, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 June 2019 at 13:14

Classification

Accident

Location

Southold, New York, United States

Coordinates

40.9875, -72.5800

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N8014T

Category

Airplane

Year built

1990

Operator

Ri Aviation Services Llc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

New York → Bedford

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA19FA189

2 people died.

A total loss of engine power due to a main bearing shift and the pilot’s subsequent failure to maintain a proper glide path to the selected forced landing site. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to operate the airplane with known mechanical deficiencies.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed on a cross-country flight when, shortly after takeoff, he announced to air traffic control that the airplane had experienced an engine failure and that he would perform a forced landing in a field. Radar data showed the airplane descending over an area of open fields, and surveillance video near the accident site captured the airplane at low altitude in a steep left bank before it descended out of view behind trees and impacted the ground. A mechanic stated that, several weeks before the accident, the pilot asked him to look at the airplane due to higher-than-normal engine oil temperature and lower than normal oil pressure. The mechanic subsequently discovered metal debris in the oil filter. He stated that he expressed concern to the pilot about operating the airplane multiple times in the weeks and days before the accident, as he felt the engine was rapidly degrading and was susceptible to a catastrophic loss. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 1 main aft bearing had shifted, was separated from the crankshaft, and sustained extensive thermal damage. The rear of the crankshaft was no longer connected to the main bearing and there was extensive internal and thermal damage. It is likely that the bearing shift resulted in the loss of engine power. The pilot’s decision to fly the airplane with known engine deficiencies increased the risk of a loss of engine power in flight. Following the loss of engine power, the pilot failed to maintain a proper glidepath to the forced landing site, which resulted in his low altitude maneuvering and impact with terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.