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20080410842319A

Accident · Minor damage
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FAA accident report · Beech A36 · Lake Guntersvi, AL · April 10, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

Date
April 10, 2008 · 17:15 local
Place
Lake Guntersvi, AL
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6559N
Reported as
Beech A36
Reported engine
Continental IO550B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,287 total240 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days
N6559NRegistration cancelled Nov 5, 2025 · Beech A36S/N E-2052 · Built 1982Airframe modelBeech A36Engine modelContinental IO-550 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 pilot stated that he took off from guntersville Alabama (8A1) at approximately 1700 local, bound of birmingham (bhm). After reaching 1500 feet MSL he reduced manifold pressure to 25 inches and RPM to 2500 and the engine immediately lost power. He quickly returned the engine controls to their previous positions and attempted numerous restarts. With the prop windmilling, he turned the boost pump to high, checked the mixture full rich, moved the fuel selector from right main to left main tanks and checked left mag, right mag and then back to both mags with no response. He further stated that he moved the throttle from high power to low power settings, the mixture from full rich to more lean settings, and moved the prop from all the way in to all the way out. None of these actions had any result so he began looking for an emergency landing location. With altitude getting low and only the lake looking unpopulated or unobstructed, he decided to land flaps and gear up in the water. He landed in the water just off a levee and walked to shore where he got two witnesses to call police. There was little damage caused by the landing but the recover crew caused damage to the tail, wings and flaps.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TOOK OFF FROM GUNTERSVILLE ALABAMA (8A1) AT APPROXIMATELY 1700 LOCAL, BOUND OF BIRMINGHAM (BHM). AFTER REACHING 1500 FEET MSL HE REDUCED MANIFOLD PRESSURE TO 25 INCHES AND RPM TO 2500 AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER. HE QUICKLY RETURNED THE ENGINE CONTROLS TO THEIR PREVIOUS POSITIONS AND ATTEMPTED NUMEROUS RESTARTS. WITH THE PROP WINDMILLING, HE TURNED THE BOOST PUMP TO HIGH, CHECKED THE MIXTURE FULL RICH, MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM RIGHT MAIN TO LEFT MAIN TANKS AND CHECKED LEFT MAG, RIGHT MAG AND THEN BACK TO BOTH MAGS WITH NO RESPONSE. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE MOVED THE THROTTLE FROM HIGH POWER TO LOW POWER SETTINGS, THE MIXTURE FROM FULL RICH TO MORE LEAN SETTINGS, AND MOVED THE PROP FROM ALL THE WAY IN TO ALL THE WAY OUT. NONE OF THESE ACTIONS HAD ANY RESULT SO HE BEGAN LOOKING FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING LOCATION. WITH ALTITUDE GETTING LOW AND ONLY THE LAKE LOOKING UNPOPULATED OR UNOBSTRUCTED, HE DECIDED TO LAND FLAPS AND GEAR UP IN THE WATER. HE LANDED IN THE WATER JUST OFF A LEVEE AND WALKED TO SHORE WHERE HE GOT TWO WITNESSES TO CALL POLICE. THERE WAS LITTLE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE LANDING BUT THE RECOVER CREW CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TAIL, WINGS AND FLAPS.