What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 19, 2024, at 1122 eastern standard time, a Beech A36 was destroyed in an accident near East Aurora, new york. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight was being conducted under title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as a personal flight.
Preliminary air traffic control (ATC) data indicated that the airplane had departed from capital region international airport in lansing, Michigan, on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan bound for westchester county airport in white plains, new york. About 1 hour and 20 minutes into the flight, while cruising at 12,500 feet, the pilot declared an emergency, reporting “very low power on my engine” and requested to remain at as high an altitude as possible.
ATC initially directed the pilot to buffalo niagara international airport in buffalo, new york, and later provided vectors to buffalo airfield. The pilot reported that while the engine was still running, the airplane was no longer able to maintain altitude. He expressed doubt that the aircraft could reach either airport and decided to attempt an off-airport landing. ATC provided vectors toward a freeway, but the pilot chose to land in a field instead. Radar contact was lost shortly afterward, near the accident site.
Witnesses near the crash site reported seeing the airplane flying low, approximately 30 feet above the tree line, before observing a black plume of smoke.
An investigation of the accident site revealed that the airplane initially struck a tree trunk and came to a stop about 40 feet beyond the impact point. A postimpact fire consumed the fuselage, cockpit, and inboard wing sections. The right outboard wing exhibited crush damage near the tip, with the aileron and flap still attached. The right tip tank separated on impact and came to rest near the tree strike area. The left outboard wing sustained multiple tree strikes, with the aileron separated and the flap attached. The aft cabin and tail cone were destroyed by fire.
The empennage sustained varying degrees of damage. The right horizontal stabilizer, elevator, vertical stabilizer, and rudder remained attached, while the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator were fragmented due to impact forces. The engine remained partially attached to the airframe and showed significant fire damage and sooting. All engine accessories were in place but also sustained fire damage. Initial external inspection of the engine did not reveal signs of a catastrophic failure.
The airplane was recovered for further investigation.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 19, 2024, AT 1122 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A BEECH A36 WAS DESTROYED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR EAST AURORA, NEW YORK. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT.
PRELIMINARY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) DATA INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD DEPARTED FROM CAPITAL REGION INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN LANSING, MICHIGAN, ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN BOUND FOR WESTCHESTER COUNTY AIRPORT IN WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK. ABOUT 1 HOUR AND 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, WHILE CRUISING AT 12,500 FEET, THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, REPORTING “VERY LOW POWER ON MY ENGINE” AND REQUESTED TO REMAIN AT AS HIGH AN ALTITUDE AS POSSIBLE.
ATC INITIALLY DIRECTED THE PILOT TO BUFFALO NIAGARA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK, AND LATER PROVIDED VECTORS TO BUFFALO AIRFIELD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, THE AIRPLANE WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. HE EXPRESSED DOUBT THAT THE AIRCRAFT COULD REACH EITHER AIRPORT AND DECIDED TO ATTEMPT AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. ATC PROVIDED VECTORS TOWARD A FREEWAY, BUT THE PILOT CHOSE TO LAND IN A FIELD INSTEAD. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST SHORTLY AFTERWARD, NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE.
WITNESSES NEAR THE CRASH SITE REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE FLYING LOW, APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET ABOVE THE TREE LINE, BEFORE OBSERVING A BLACK PLUME OF SMOKE.
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE INITIALLY STRUCK A TREE TRUNK AND CAME TO A STOP ABOUT 40 FEET BEYOND THE IMPACT POINT. A POSTIMPACT FIRE CONSUMED THE FUSELAGE, COCKPIT, AND INBOARD WING SECTIONS. THE RIGHT OUTBOARD WING EXHIBITED CRUSH DAMAGE NEAR THE TIP, WITH THE AILERON AND FLAP STILL ATTACHED. THE RIGHT TIP TANK SEPARATED ON IMPACT AND CAME TO REST NEAR THE TREE STRIKE AREA. THE LEFT OUTBOARD WING SUSTAINED MULTIPLE TREE STRIKES, WITH THE AILERON SEPARATED AND THE FLAP ATTACHED. THE AFT CABIN AND TAIL CONE WERE DESTROYED BY FIRE.
THE EMPENNAGE SUSTAINED VARYING DEGREES OF DAMAGE. THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, ELEVATOR, VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND RUDDER REMAINED ATTACHED, WHILE THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR WERE FRAGMENTED DUE TO IMPACT FORCES. THE ENGINE REMAINED PARTIALLY ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME AND SHOWED SIGNIFICANT FIRE DAMAGE AND SOOTING. ALL ENGINE ACCESSORIES WERE IN PLACE BUT ALSO SUSTAINED FIRE DAMAGE. INITIAL EXTERNAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL SIGNS OF A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.
THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.