Beechcraft A36 N3861K

Summary

On 20 June 1998 at about 02:21 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N3861K, operated by Garry C. Waite, was involved in an accident near Nephi, Utah, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 June 1998 at 02:21

Classification

Accident

Location

Nephi, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Nephi Municipal Airport (U14)

Coordinates

39.6796, -111.8307

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N3861K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Garry C. Waite

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Las Vegas → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW98FA276

2 people died.

The improper installation of the turbocharger exhaust stack by unknown maintenance personnel and the subsequent fire in the engine compartment due to the exhaust gas leak from the turbocharger. Factors were the total loss of engine power due to fuel line failure and subsequent fuel starvation, the pilot not following proper emergency procedures, and the loss of aircraft control due to the pilot's incapacitation following the spread of the fire to the cabin area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported to Salt Lake City ARTCC that 'I've lost an engine and the cockpit is filling with smoke.' Five minutes later the pilot reported that 'my cylinders are all blown, I've got smoke comin' through.' He stated that he would shut off the electrical power as soon as the landing gear was down. A witness observed N3861K appear from behind a one-story building flying 'what appeared to be straight up in the air, and then it veered sharply to the right, then went straight down.' The airplane had been modified with a turbonormalizing system and the installer recommended that the tailpipe be removed for internal inspection of the turbocharger every 100 hours. Postaccident examination of the turbine exhaust flange revealed a 3-inch portion was missing and the fuel selector was found on the right main fuel tank. Several items from the airplane were found outside the postimpact fire area and they exhibited fire damage: the cabin entrance door, the cargo door, a passenger's shoe, and the engine cowling. The firewall had an 18 inch hole burned through it. Toxicology tests on the pilot revealed that fluoxetine (trade name Prozac, a non-approved drug for flight status) was present in his blood.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.