Accident Beechcraft A36 Bonanza N3861K,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 34758
 
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Date:Friday 19 June 1998
Time:21:21 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic BE36 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Beechcraft A36 Bonanza
Owner/operator:Garry C. Waite
Registration: N3861K
MSN: E-1842
Year of manufacture:1981
Total airframe hrs:2228 hours
Engine model:Continental IO520BB16B
Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Nephi, UT -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Las Vegas, NV (KVGT)
Destination airport:(U14)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
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.

Probable Cause: 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.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: FTW98FA276
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 2 years and 8 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB FTW98FA276

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
07-Apr-2024 10:23 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]

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