Beechcraft A36 N9410Q

Summary

On 12 March 2022 at about 18:45 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N9410Q, operated by Hook EM LLC, was involved in an accident near Heavner, Oklahoma, United States. 3 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

12 March 2022 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Heavner, Oklahoma, United States

Coordinates

34.8800, -94.4400

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N9410Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1971

Engines

1

Operator

Hook EM LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bentonville → Mena

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA140

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power due to oil exhaustion which resulted from improper engine maintenance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he noticed the engine oil pressure dropped to 14 psi after he began the descent to his destination airport. He turned toward a nearby airport, but shortly thereafter the oil pressure dropped to 0 psi and the engine seized. The pilot executed a forced landing to a field and the airplane sustained substantial damage to its wings when it struck fences and livestock feeding troughs during the landing. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed several missing and loose bolts securing the engine valve covers. The No. 4 cylinder valve cover was completely off and its gasket was not located after the accident. The No. 6 cylinder valve cover was very loose and was only held on by 4 of the 8 bolts normally used to secure the cover. The No. 4 cylinder valve arm shaft bolt was missing. Metal shavings were observed throughout the valve assembly area as well as deposited on the cowling and airplane along with the lost engine oil. Review of maintenance records did not reveal any recorded maintenance to the rocker covers since the most recent engine overhaul 6 years before the accident. Maintenance entries since the overhaul indicated routine maintenance, including annual/100-hour inspections and oil changes, with no leaks detected during post-maintenance engine runs. Attempts to discover when the rocker covers were last accessed for maintenance were unsuccessful. Based on the available evidence the loss of engine power was due to oil exhaustion that resulted from improper installation of the engine valve covers. Determination of when the improper maintenance was performed could not be determined based on the maintenance entries that were available.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.