20011121036179A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech A36 · Milton, FL · November 21, 2001

Date
November 21, 2001 · 17:00 local
Place
Milton, FL
Airport
Private
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1836L
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA02LA030
Reported as
Beech A36
Reported engine
Continental IO550B
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
550 total400 in this make and model45 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Pilot stated that the right main fuel tank was selected when the engine quit. He then attempted to restart the engine after switching to the left fuel tank. The engine did not start and pilot made an emergency landing to choctaw field (olf). The aircraft landed short and sustained substantial damage. No injuries. Mechanic at the scene stated that when he defueled the aircraft for transport the right wing tank had maybe a half of gallon of fuel in it. The left tank had approximately 18 gallons of fuel in it. The right tip tank was full. The left tip tank was empty but the bottom of the tank was cracked. The left tip tank was damaged during the accident. (.4) the pilot said he had been airborne for about 3 hours and 15 minutes, and after having descended from 7,000 feet, just before reaching his assigned altitude of 5,000 feet, as he manipulated the throttle control to increase engine power, "the throttle had no effect, and the engine appeared to be generating no power." The pilot said that he performed the emergency procedures, declared an emergency, and made a gear up landing, about 100 feet short of the runway. According to the pilot, an examination of the aircraft d etermined that the right main fuel tank had less than 2 gallons of fuel remaining. He said that he had been operating the aircraft on the right main tank when the engine had ceased operating. He also said that the left main fuel tank had over 20 gallons of fuel remaining. A licensed FAA aircraft mechanic examined the aircraft and found that it had incurred substantial damege. The mechanic also stated that he found a maximum of about a half of a gallon of fuel remaining in the right main tank, along with debris, and about 18 gallons of fuel remaining in the left tank. According to the mechanic, a detailed examination did not reveal any malfunctions to the aircraft's induction, fuel or ignition systems. (.19) on November 21, 2001, about 1715 central standard time, a Beech A36, N1836L, registered to, and operated by a Private individual, as a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, made a forced landing, short of the runway at Milton, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The Private-rated pilot, and one passenger received no injuries, and the aircraft incurred substantial damage. The flight originated from georgetown, Texas, the same day, about 1145. According to the pilot, he had been airborne for about 3 hours and 15 minutes, and after having descended from 7,000 feet, just before reaching his assigned altitude of 5,000 feet, as he manipulated the throttle control to increase engine power, "the throttle had no effect, and the engine appeared to be generating no power." The pilot said that he performed emergency procedures, but could not get the engine to generate power, so he declared an emergency. He said that he was cleared to a field at his 10 o'clock position, but was not able to glide to the runway, but could make it to a clearing in front of the runway. According to the pilot, he elected to land the aircraft with the landing gear retracted, and during the landing the aircraft skin was wrinkled, and the elevator incurred structural damage.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS SELECTED WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AFTER SWITCHING TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK. THE ENGINE DID NOT START AND PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING TO CHOCTAW FIELD (OLF). THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO INJURIES. MECHANIC AT THE SCENE STATED THAT WHEN HE DEFUELED THE AIRCRAFT FOR TRANSPORT THE RIGHT WING TANK HAD MAYBE A HALF OF GALLON OF FUEL IN IT. THE LEFT TANK HAD APPROXIMATELY 18 GALLONS OF FUEL IN IT. THE RIGHT TIP TANK WAS FULL. THE LEFT TIP TANK WAS EMPTY BUT THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK WAS CRACKED. THE LEFT TIP TANK WAS DAMAGED DURING THE ACCIDENT. (.4) THE PILOT SAID HE HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR ABOUT 3 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES, AND AFTER HAVING DESCENDED FROM 7,000 FEET, JUST BEFORE REACHING HIS ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 5,000 FEET, AS HE MANIPULATED THE THROTTLE CONTROL TO INCREASE ENGINE POWER, "THE THROTTLE HAD NO EFFECT, AND THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE GENERATING NO POWER." THE PILOT SAID THAT HE PERFORMED THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, AND MADE A GEAR UP LANDING, ABOUT 100 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT D ETERMINED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK HAD LESS THAN 2 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING. HE SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RIGHT MAIN TANK WHEN THE ENGINE HAD CEASED OPERATING. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK HAD OVER 20 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING. A LICENSED FAA AIRCRAFT MECHANIC EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND THAT IT HAD INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMEGE. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT HE FOUND A MAXIMUM OF ABOUT A HALF OF A GALLON OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE RIGHT MAIN TANK, ALONG WITH DEBRIS, AND ABOUT 18 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE LEFT TANK. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, A DETAILED EXAMINATION DID NOT REVEAL ANY MALFUNCTIONS TO THE AIRCRAFT'S INDUCTION, FUEL OR IGNITION SYSTEMS. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 21, 2001, ABOUT 1715 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BEECH A36, N1836L, REGISTERED TO, AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, MADE A FORCED LANDING, SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AT MILTON, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT, AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED NO INJURIES, AND THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM GEORGETOWN, TEXAS, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 1145. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR ABOUT 3 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES, AND AFTER HAVING DESCENDED FROM 7,000 FEET, JUST BEFORE REACHING HIS ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 5,000 FEET, AS HE MANIPULATED THE THROTTLE CONTROL TO INCREASE ENGINE POWER, "THE THROTTLE HAD NO EFFECT, AND THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE GENERATING NO POWER." THE PILOT SAID THAT HE PERFORMED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, BUT COULD NOT GET THE ENGINE TO GENERATE POWER, SO HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. HE SAID THAT HE WAS CLEARED TO A FIELD AT HIS 10 O'CLOCK POSITION, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO GLIDE TO THE RUNWAY, BUT COULD MAKE IT TO A CLEARING IN FRONT OF THE RUNWAY. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED, AND DURING THE LANDING THE AIRCRAFT SKIN WAS WRINKLED, AND THE ELEVATOR INCURRED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.