# NTSB ERA17LA347: Beech 35, N3187V, Marathon, FL, September 16, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 16, 2017, 08:55 local (12:55 UTC) - Place: Marathon, FL - Coordinates: 24.725555, -81.228889 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=24.7256&lon=-81.2289&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-climb to cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 18, 2019 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 96324 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA17LA347 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/96324/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96324 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17LA347 ## Probable cause A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because saltwater corrosion precluded a complete examination. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech 35, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=1151502), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-climb to cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Beech 35, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=1151502), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Ditching](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/441); cases with it: [Beech 35, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/441/sequence.md?model=1151502), [All aircraft, 186 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/441/sequence.md) ## Analysis The private pilot fueled the airplane to capacity before departing on a local photography flight. About 1 hour after departing, the pilot was climbing the airplane to cruise altitude for the return to the departure airport. About 800 to 1,000 ft above mean sea level, the airplane experienced a sudden, total loss of engine power over open water and beyond gliding distance to shore. The pilot prepared to ditch and attempted five engine restarts without success. The propeller continued to windmill as the airplane landed upright, but subsequently sank in about 12 ft of saltwater. The airplane was recovered 12 days later and a fuel sheen was observed in the area. The wreckage was examined following recovery and the engine crankshaft could not be rotated due to saltwater corrosion. Examination of the engine-driven fuel pump revealed that the drive shaft remained intact and could be actuated by hand with no anomalies noted. The engine and its ignition and induction systems could not be thoroughly examined or tested due to extensive saltwater corrosion; therefore, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined. ## Factual narrative On September 16, 2017, about 0855 eastern daylight time, a Beech 35, N3187V, was substantially damaged while ditching in the Gulf of Mexico, following a total loss of engine power about 10 miles west of Marathon, Florida. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The personal flight was operated by the private pilot and conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, about 0745.The pilot reported that he and a business partner planned to survey damage to his business partner's home on No Name Key, Florida. They flew to the home, circled it at a low altitude, took photographs, and began a climb back to cruise altitude for the return to FXE. About 800 to 1,000 ft above mean sea level, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot prepared to ditch as the airplane would not glide far enough to reach land. He also attempted two engine restarts with no success, and reported the emergency to air traffic control. The pilot attempted two more engine restarts using the wobble fuel pump and electric fuel pump. He then attempted another restart using the electric fuel pump with no success. The pilot added that the propeller continued to windmill during the restart attempts. The pilot landed on the water with the landing gear and flaps retracted. The airplane came to rest upright and both occupants were rescued by law enforcement personnel. According to the president of a recovery company, the airplane was recovered 12 days later, on September 28, 2017. The airplane appeared to be intact and was resting on a sandy bottom. When the airplane was floated to the surface of the water, a fuel sheen was observed on the water surface. Following recovery, no fuel or water was noted in the left wing fuel tank and approximately 1 gallon of a fuel and water mixture was recovered from the right wing fuel tank. The president of the recovery company added that he was unable to rotate the propeller, possibly due to corrosion. The pilot further stated that he used REC-90, a 90 octane, ethanol free gasoline in the airplane and stored the gasoline in his hangar. After every flight, he completely fueled the airplane from the gasoline storage to prevent condensation from accumulating in the fuel tanks. Prior to the accident flight, he last flew the airplane on September 11, 2017, for .6 hours and added 6 gallons of gasoline after he landed. He also inspected the fuel tanks during the preflight inspection for the accident flight, and both fuel tanks were full. He recalled being burned from fuel in the water and noted that a recovery diver made the same comment. The pilot subsequently provided a receipt indicating that he most recently purchased 30 gallons of REC-90 on September 5, 2017. Initial examination of the wreckage by a Federal AviationAdministration inspector revealed that the fuselage was buckled during the ditching. The inspector further examined the wreckage at a recovery facility and specifically examined the engine driven fuel pump as the pilot thought that the pump might have failed. The engine driven fuel pump drive shaft remained intact. The inspector was able to actuate the pump by hand and did not note any anomalies with the pump. Due to extensive corrosion damage, the inspector was unable to rotate the engine crankshaft. The four-seat, low-wing, retractable tricycle-gear airplane, serial number D-623, was manufactured in 1947. It was powered by a Continental E185, 185-horsepower engine, equipped with a constant-speed, two-blade Hartzell propeller. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on April 27, 2017. At that time, the airframe had accumulated 3,768.4 hours of operation and the engine had accumulated 72 hours since major overhaul. The airplane had flown about 35 hours, from the time of the most recent annual inspection, until the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3187V](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3187V-2020-01-31), registration cancelled 2020-01-31, S/N D-623, built 1947 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH 35 (UNDESIGNAT) - Registry model: [Beech 35](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-35) (registry code 1151502) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental E185 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-e185-series) (registry code 17014, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: D-623 - Year built: 1947 - Airframe hours: 3768 - Engines: Continental E-185-8 185 hp reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 27, 2017, 35 hours before - Departed: FXE, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Destination: FXE, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Equipment: Handheld GPS, Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 56; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 601 total, 421 in this make and model, 509 as pilot in command, 35 in the last 90 days, 20 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 40° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 86 °F - Altimeter: 29.96 inHg - Observed at: MTH, 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 20170916019509A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170916019509A), Sep 16, 2017: Beech 35, Marathon, FL, Destroyed. Aircraft N3187V was conducting a surveilance flight when the pilot experienced an uncommanded engine shut down between FL800' and 1000'. The aircraft was… ## Docket (7 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 2, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96324. 2.9 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462861&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Interview Summaries (item 2, .PDF, 78 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462862&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Interview%20Summaries-Master.PDF - Passenger Statement (item 3, .PDF, 157 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462863&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Passenger%20Statement-Master.PDF - Fuel Receipt (item 4, .PDF, 48 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462864&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Fuel%20Receipt-Master.PDF - Statement from President of Recovery Company (item 5, .PDF, 215 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462865&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20from%20President%20of%20Recovery%20Company-Master.PDF - Excerpts from Aircraft Maintenance Logbooks (item 6, .PDF, 674 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462866&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Excerpts%20from%20Aircraft%20Maintenance%20Logbooks-Master.PDF - Photo Array (Courtesy of FAA) (item 7, .PDF, 3 photos, 586 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462867&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20Array%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.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.