Pilot Debrief

Beech 35 near Sidney, IA — 2020-04-10

Final reportCEN20LA145
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Date
2020-04-10
Location
Sidney, IA, USA
Aircraft
Beech 35
Registration
N1258Z
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined.

NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, the accident flight was the third following an annual inspection; the airplane had flown about 1.5 hours since the completion of the annual inspection. About 80 minutes into the flight, the engine ceased to produce power. When the pilot moved the throttle from the cruise setting to idle and then back to the previous setting, the RPM gauge fluctuated, but power could not be restored. He said that while looking for a place to land, he and his passenger began detecting a "slight burning smell." He conducted an emergency landing to a grass field. Upon touchdown, the nose gear collapsed, and the left main gear was compressed up and into the left wing, resulting in substantial damage to the wing. Postaccident examinations of the engine, ignition system, fuel system and propeller governor found no evidence of any anomalies or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked engine performance before flight to identify potential issues.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 10 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents10

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