20090415005069A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech A36 · Lopez Island, WA · April 15, 2009

Date: April 15, 2009 · 19:49 local
Place: Lopez Island, WA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N464TJ
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR09LA197
Reported as: Beech A36
Reported engine: Continental IO550B
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,048 total847 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

N464TJRegistration cancelled Apr 18, 2012 · Raytheon A36S/N E-3052 · Built 1996 Airframe modelRaytheon A36 Engine 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 departed snohomish county airport (pae) heading for Friday harbor. (Fhr) during cruise flight the pilot noticed an increase in propeller RPM. The pilot stated he was having trouble controlling the RPM. Next there was a loud bang from the engine followed by a trail of white smoke flowing over the wind screen. The cabin immediately filled with smoke. The pilot made an emergency no flap landing doing about 100 mph. After inspecting the aircraft I noticed the engine oil cap was not installed properly.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT DEPARTED SNOHOMISH COUNTY AIRPORT (PAE) HEADING FOR FRIDAY HARBOR. (FHR) DURING CRUISE FLIGHT THE PILOT NOTICED AN INCREASE IN PROPELLER RPM. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE CONTROLLING THE RPM. NEXT THERE WAS A LOUD BANG FROM THE ENGINE FOLLOWED BY A TRAIL OF WHITE SMOKE FLOWING OVER THE WIND SCREEN. THE CABIN IMMEDIATELY FILLED WITH SMOKE. THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY NO FLAP LANDING DOING ABOUT 100 MPH. AFTER INSPECTING THE AIRCRAFT I NOTICED THE ENGINE OIL CAP WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY.

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 WPR09LA197Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLopez Island, WAA loss of engine power during cruise flight due to oil starvation. The oil starvation event was due to the failure of maintenance personnel to tighten the aft mounting nuts for the newly installed propeller governor and the pilot’s failure to secure the oil…Apr 16, 2009 · Substantial damage