Beechcraft A36 N3266Q

Summary

On 22 February 2020 at about 17:11 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N3266Q was involved in an accident near Rogers, Minnesota, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 February 2020 at 17:11

Classification

Accident

Location

Rogers, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

45.1981, -93.6528

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N3266Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1995

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Minneapolis → Breezy Point

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20FA096

1 person died.

Inadequate maintenance that resulted in improper torque to the engine-driven fuel pump inlet fitting, which led to a loss of engine power and forced landing into unsuitable terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Radar data indicate that the airplane was in cruise flight about 1,000 ft above ground level (agl) when it climbed about 300 ft and decelerated from about 170 to 110 knots groundspeed. The airplane subsequently turned away from populated areas and descended at 70 to 75 knots groundspeed with a steady vertical speed. About 100 ft agl, the airplane turned right and impacted forested terrain, which resulted in a postcrash fire. The flight profile was consistent with a power loss, followed by a forced landing attempt. Examination at the accident site revealed the flexible fuel hose b-nut connecting the firewall fuel outlet fitting to the inlet fitting on the engine-driven fuel pump was only finger tight, and green ‘torque putty’ did not align between the b-nut shoulder of the outlet fitting and the fuel pump’s inlet. Both findings were consistent with improper torque application during maintenance. The loose b-nut could have resulted in allowing air to enter the fuel line which would result in a loss of engine power. Examination at the recovery facility and an engine test run revealed no other anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation. The engine was installed about 4 months prior to the accident and had accumulated about 21 hours. No maintenance was recorded after the inspections that were conducted in conjunction with the engine installation. An autopsy revealed the pilot had moderate-to-severe atherosclerosis, but there was no evidence of any acute or past coronary event. While the pilot was at increased risk for an acute cardiac event, there was no evidence this occurred, and the pilot’s coronary artery disease was determined to not be a factor in the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.