- Date
- August 1, 1988, 23:17 local (Aug 2, 1988, 04:17 UTC)
- Place
- Vega, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3707ZBeech A36TC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 16, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880801029589A
- Case key
- 22668
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
Unreported propeller strike.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane was on a night cross country flight when engine oil started to appear on the windows. The pilot was unable to get the airplane to an airport before the oil pressure went to zero. After loss of oil pressure, the engine started to vibrate, and the propeller separated from the engine. With no forward visibility and very little side visibility, the pilot made a forced landing on a highway service road; however, during the landing roll, the airplane impacted highway signs and reflectors. The pilot said there was a fire on the highway, behind the airplane, but it never reached the airplane. A teardown of the engine revealed a failure of the crankshaft that was initiated by a pre-existing fatigue crack. There was evidence that opening of the fatigue crack led to gradual loss of lubricating oil, then separation of the propeller.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3707Z
- Reported as
- Beech A36TC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- EA 150
- Airframe hours
- 570
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-UB, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Petro Jet Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1988 · 76 hours before
- Departed
- DEN · Denver, CO
- Destination
- MAF · Midland, TX
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,800 total · 250 in this make and model · 5,500 as pilot in command · 130 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 170° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.