# NTSB CEN13CA250: Beech A36, N1568Y, Ingalls, IN, May 1, 2013 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: May 1, 2013, 08:30 local (12:30 UTC) - Place: Ingalls, IN - Coordinates: 39.953334, -85.786666 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9533&lon=-85.7867&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-descent: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 23, 2013 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 86784 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN13CA250 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/86784/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=86784 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13CA250 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech A36, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=1151604), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech A36, 22 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=1151604), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-descent: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Beech A36, 56 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=1151604), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Enroute-descent: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191); cases with it: [Beech A36, 15 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md?model=1151604), [All aircraft, 733 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Beech A36, 56 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=1151604), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot departed on a 1 hour 50 minute cross country flight with about 30 gallons of fuel in each wing tank (about 27 gallons usable fuel per side). The flight was uneventful until the pilot started a descent from 8,000 feet to 3,000 feet; the engine then made "two pops" and "quit." The pilot said the engine didn’t run rough; "it just stopped." He made several attempts to re-start the engine but was unsuccessful. The pilot declared an emergency and landed in a field. Upon landing, the nose gear dug into the dirt and separated from the airplane. The right wing rear spar fractured during the landing; however, both wing fuel tanks were undamaged. About 1 quart of fuel was drained from the left wing tank, and the right wing tank contained about 30 gallons of fuel. The pilot could not recall where the fuel selector was positioned at the time of the power loss. Examination of the engine and fuel system revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot was feeding fuel to the engine from the left wing tank and did not switch to the right wing tank before the engine lost power or during the attempted restart. ## Factual narrative The pilot departed on a 1 hour and 50 minute cross country flight with approximately 30 gallons of fuel in each wing tank (approximately 27 gallons usable fuel per side). The flight was uneventful until he started a descent to land from 8,000 feet to 3,000 feet, when the engine made "two pops" and "quit." The pilot said there was no engine roughness "it just stopped." He made several attempts to re-start the engine, but was unsuccessful. The pilot declared an emergency and landed in a field. Upon landing, the nose gear dug into the dirt and separated from the airplane. The right wing rear spar had also fractured during the landing; however, both wing fuel tanks were undamaged. Approximately one-quart of fuel was drained from the left wing tank, and the right wing tank contained approximately 30 gallons of fuel. The pilot could not recall what the position of the fuel selector was at the time of the power loss. Examination of the engine and fuel system revealed no mechanical anomalies. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1568Y](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1568Y-2020-04-08), registration cancelled 2020-04-08, S/N E-2646, built 1991 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH A36 - Registry model: [Beech A36](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-a36) (registry code 1151604) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-550 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-series) (registry code 17042, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: E-2646 - Airframe hours: 3690 - Engines: CONT MOTOR IO-550 SERIES 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Wv Aviation LLC - Registered owner: Wv Aviation LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, October 10, 2012, 16.7 hours before - Departed: CKB, Clarksburg, WV - Destination: UMP, Indianapolis, IN - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 46; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review November 11, 2012; seat: left; flight hours: 382 total, 232 in this make and model, 2 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 170° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 55 °F - Altimeter: 30.17 inHg - Observed at: KAID, 10 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20130501007289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130501007289A), May 1, 2013: Beech A36, Ingalls, IN, Substantial damage. On may 1, 2013, a Beechcraft A36, N1568Y, exerienced a loss of power during the initial descent to indianapolis metropolitan airport (kump), and landed in a… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 16, 2013, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=86784. 2.4 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40392685&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - FAA Inspector Statement (item 2, .PDF, 539 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40392686&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Statement-Redacted.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.