Beechcraft 36 N630JL

Summary

On 16 July 2020 at about 22:20 local time, a Beechcraft 36 registered N630JL, operated by Strategos International Llc, was involved in an accident near Independence, Missouri, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 July 2020 at 22:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Independence, Missouri, United States

Nearest airport

Midwest Ntl Air Center (GPH)

Coordinates

39.1253, -94.3319

Aircraft

Beechcraft 36

Registration

N630JL

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Operator

Strategos International Llc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Lee's Summit

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20LA288

Nobody was injured.

Failure of the No. 5 piston head and ring, which resulted in a total loss of engine power and the pilot’s decision to takeoff with a known mechanical issue.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the initial climb, the pilot noted a rising cylinder head temperature which shortly after led to the airplane oscillating back and forth and responding slowly. The pilot set up for a forced landing and the airplane began to shake and was unable to hold altitude. During the approach to landing, the engine quit, and the pilot minimized his bank angle to stay out of a stall situation. When the airplane touched down, the pilot lost directional control and the airplane skidded off the road into a grassy area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that on the previous flight, he was in cruise flight at 8,000 ft when he noted that the airplane began “moving back and forth.” He scanned the instruments and saw the cylinder head temperatures (CHT) for the Nos. 5 and 6 cylinders were “running in the red” along with oil temperature. The pilot diverted and landed uneventfully. During the descent for landing, the engine temperatures returned to normal, and he landed uneventfully. The pilot called the owner and discussed what had occurred. The owner suggested that if the pilot was comfortable, he should return to the home airfield. The pilot agreed to return if the taxi and engine run-up checked normal. The engine run-up was normal, and the pilot departed the airport without incident. Postaccident examination of the engine found that the No. 5 cylinder head and piston ring had failed with signatures of denotation. Additionally, the turbocharger oil seal had failed. The pilot stated that he was not running the engine lean with fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.