Accident Sequence
The pilot, who had recently acquired the airplane, was receiving type-specific flight instruction to meet insurance requirements and had logged 6 hours of instruction. On the morning of the accident, a lineman checked the fuel tanks and found them half full; the pilots declined his offer to refuel. The airplane departed and flew for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes before arriving at another airport, where it performed two full-stop landings. Witnesses reported hearing the engine sputtering and coughing, and observed the landing gear being retracted before the airplane struck a parked semi-truck in a residential neighborhood. The impact caused an explosion, and both the airplane and the semi-truck were consumed by fire.
Fuel System Examination
Post-accident inspection revealed the fuel selector valve was positioned on the left tank. The airplane was equipped with standard fuel tanks. According to the Beech A36 Pilot's Operating Handbook, each wing tank holds 40 gallons of fuel, of which 37 gallons are useable. Performance charts indicate each takeoff and climbout consumes approximately 3.5 gallons of fuel. The airplane had taken off and conducted two takeoffs and landings before the loss of power, totaling three takeoff/climbout events. Cruise performance charts for 10,000 feet at +20°C ISA show fuel consumption between 9.5 and 14.0 gallons per hour, depending on leaning technique.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Beech A36. No other details about the aircraft or its occupants were provided in the source.