20030704012939A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech A36TC · Wenatchee, WA · July 4, 2003

Date: July 4, 2003 · 13:22 local
Place: Wenatchee, WA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N279WP
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA03FA124
Reported as: Beech A36TC
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1

N279WPRegistration cancelled Jun 6, 2013 · Beech A36TCS/N EA-142 · Built 1980 Airframe modelBeech A36TC Engine modelContinental TSIO-520 seriesReciprocating

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) On July 4, 2003 at approximately 1332 hrs. Local time, N279WP a Beechcraft A-36 powered by an allison turbo prop crashed into a ravine 3 miles northwest of the Wenatchee, Washington airport. The pilot-in-command who occupied the right seat was fatally injured as a result of the accident. The front left seat passenger was hospitalized in critical condition and was subsequently released. The rear seat passenger only minor injuries. The back seat passenger, a student pilot stated his brother who occupied the front left seat was flying the aircraft when the engine quit. Note: the pic's flight instructor certificate expired on November 30, 1978. The PIC took over the "throw over yoke" to attempt an emergency landing. The PIC landed in a wheat field and was unable to stop the aircraft before it crashed into a steep ravine at the end of the field. A post-accident investigation of the aircraft, and interviews indicate that the aircraft had ran out of fuel.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JULY 4, 2003 AT APPROXIMATELY 1332 HRS. LOCAL TIME, N279WP A BEECHCRAFT A-36 POWERED BY AN ALLISON TURBO PROP CRASHED INTO A RAVINE 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE WENATCHEE, WASHINGTON AIRPORT. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND WHO OCCUPIED THE RIGHT SEAT WAS FATALLY INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FRONT LEFT SEAT PASSENGER WAS HOSPITALIZED IN CRITICAL CONDITION AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY RELEASED. THE REAR SEAT PASSENGER ONLY MINOR INJURIES. THE BACK SEAT PASSENGER, A STUDENT PILOT STATED HIS BROTHER WHO OCCUPIED THE FRONT LEFT SEAT WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. NOTE: THE PIC'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATE EXPIRED ON NOVEMBER 30, 1978. THE PIC TOOK OVER THE "THROW OVER YOKE" TO ATTEMPT AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE PIC LANDED IN A WHEAT FIELD AND WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE IT CRASHED INTO A STEEP RAVINE AT THE END OF THE FIELD. A POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND INTERVIEWS INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD RAN OUT OF FUEL.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB SEA03FA124Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportEast Wenatchee, WALoss of engine power due to fuel starvation that resulted from the right wing tank reaching an unusable fuel level. Also causal was an unapproved alteration of the aircraft’s fuel system. Contributing to the accident were the incorrect installation of an…Jul 4, 2003 · Substantial damage