- Date
- May 5, 1992, 09:12 local (13:12 UTC)
- Place
- Southbury, CT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N36MRBeech A36
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920505013309A
- Case key
- 37059
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
The failure of the pilot to monitor his fuel supply which resulted in a power loss due to fuel exhaustion and an inadvertent stall/spin as the pilot was maneuvering for a forced landing. Factors related to the accident was improper maintenance on the fuel caps and fuel siphoning.
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
After approx 4 hours of flight the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. While maneuvering for a forced landing over a wooded area, the airplane entered an inadvertent stall/spin and crashed in a creek. Fuel stains were found behind the fuel cap on the left wing. When tested, both fuel caps leaked. The caps showed evidence of having been adjusted in the field to a looser fit. No field adjustments of the cap are authorized. There were no reported problems with the cockpit fuel gauges.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N36MR
- Reported as
- Beech A36
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E-1419
- Airframe hours
- 1,870
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-BB, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Malcom F. Dunn
- Registered owner
- Malcom F. Dunn
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 8, 1990 · 190 hours before
- Departed
- 49J · Hilton Head, SC
- Destination
- 44N · Millbrook, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- OXC · Waterbury-Oxford
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,749 total · 142 in this make and model · 1,676 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OXC, 2 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.