Beechcraft B36TC N679EA

Summary

On 6 December 2017 at about 20:54 local time, a Beechcraft B36TC registered N679EA was involved in an accident near Chesterfield, Missouri, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 December 2017 at 20:54

Classification

Accident

Location

Chesterfield, Missouri, United States

Nearest airport

Spirit of St. Louis Airport (SUS)

Coordinates

38.4000, -90.3700

Aircraft

Beechcraft B36TC

Registration

N679EA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2001

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Phoenix → St. Louis

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18FA049

1 person died.

The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was nearing the destination airport at the conclusion of an approximate 1,100 nautical mile cross-country flight; the accident occurred about 5 hours 26 minutes after takeoff. During the visual approach for landing, the pilot performed a constant left turn for about 3 minutes from the downwind leg to the final leg of the traffic pattern. About the time the pilot rolled out of the left turn and onto the final approach leg, he reported to the tower controller that he had an issue and was losing engine power. The airplane subsequently impacted a gas station pump canopy and parking lot about 1 mile from the end of the runway, where it was destroyed during a post-impact fire. Several witnesses near the accident location observed the airplane at a low altitude with the wings rocking back and forth, and they heard no engine noise. A postaccident examination of the airframe and a functional engine test revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The fuel selector was found on the left tank position. The total fuel quantity of fuel on board the airplane at takeoff and the quantity remaining in each fuel tank at the accident site could not be determined; however, the airplane would likely have been low on fuel as it neared the departure airport. It is likely that the pilot's extended left turn from downwind to final approach moved fuel away from the fuel tank pick up point, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.