20060313004009A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Beech A36 · Santa Monica, CA · March 13, 2006

Date: March 13, 2006 · 09:35 local
Place: Santa Monica, CA
Airport: Santa Monica Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N16JR
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX06FA129
Reported as: Beech A36
Reported engine: Continental IO520*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Pilot’s flight hours: 300 total

N16JRRegistration cancelled Oct 5, 2006 · Beech A36S/N E-433 · Built 1973 Airframe modelBeech A36 Engine modelContinental IO-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) The aircraft departed Santa Monica airport (smo) enroute to brown field-san diego (sdm) on an IFR flight plan. The pilot was told to contact the southern California TRACON and subsequently reported an engine failure at which time he declared an emergency. The pilot attempted to return to smo bur crashed in the water approximately 100 yards from the beach between the Santa Monica and venice piers. Post crash investigation revealed a number 2 cylinder connecting rod system failure. The upper crankcase had failed in the area of the number 2 cylinder. The left and right magnetos were off their mounting pads, apparently, caused by the connecting rod system failure.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED SANTA MONICA AIRPORT (SMO) ENROUTE TO BROWN FIELD-SAN DIEGO (SDM) ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TRACON AND SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED AN ENGINE FAILURE AT WHICH TIME HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO SMO BUR CRASHED IN THE WATER APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS FROM THE BEACH BETWEEN THE SANTA MONICA AND VENICE PIERS. POST CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED A NUMBER 2 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD SYSTEM FAILURE. THE UPPER CRANKCASE HAD FAILED IN THE AREA OF THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER. THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAGNETOS WERE OFF THEIR MOUNTING PADS, APPARENTLY, CAUSED BY THE CONNECTING ROD SYSTEM FAILURE.

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 LAX06FA129Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportSanta Monica, CAThe failure of an aviation maintenance technician to properly torque and cotter pin the number 2 connecting rod bolts at their attach point to the crankshaft, which resulted in the separation of the connecting rod in flight, and complete power loss.Mar 13, 2006 · Substantial damage