- Date
- August 16, 2020, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- San Benito, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3256VBeech 36
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 3
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- San Antonio FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200816018829A
- Case key
- 101810
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A loss of engine power for a reason that could not be determined.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff from his private airstrip, the airplane’s engine lost partial power. He activated the electric fuel pump at which time the engine lost all power. The pilot attempted to return to his private airport but landed short with the landing gear retracted in a cotton field. The airplane's forward fuselage was substantially damaged. Examination of the airplane after the accident did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would explain the loss of engine power.
Factual narrative
On August 16, 2020, about 1300 central daylight time, a Beech A36 airplane, N3256V, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near San Benito, Texas. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff from the Kornegay Private Airport (53XS), the engine lost partial power. He activated the electric fuel pump at which time the engine lost all power. The pilot attempted to return to his private airport but landed short with the landing gear retracted in a cotton field. The airplane's forward fuselage was substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine was conducted following removal of the airplane from the accident site with no preimpact anomalies found with regard to the airframe, engine, or associated systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3256V
- Reported as
- Beech 36 (A36)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E-2956
- Built
- 1995
- Airframe hours
- 2,912
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-B1F, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 4, 2020
- Departed
- 53XS · San Benito, TX
- Destination
- HRL · Harlingen, TX
- Airport
- 53XS · Kornegay Private
- Equipment
- Unknown
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 29,048 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 425 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- HRL, 6 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 10, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.