Accident Details
On April 9, 2011, at about 1324 Pacific daylight time, a Beech 35-B33, registration N460SR, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power while on approach to landing at Camarillo Airport (CMA), Camarillo, California. The airplane was operated by a student pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and was registered to Serrano Ministries of Corona, California.
The flight originated from Chino, California, at 1230 with an intended destination of CMA. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The student pilot, a certified flight instructor (CFI), and one of the two passengers sustained minor injuries; the other passenger sustained serious injuries.
According to a written statement from the CFI to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge, the flight was uneventful until the descent. The student pilot configured the airplane for landing with full flaps and the landing gear extended. As the airplane descended to about 2,500 feet mean sea level, the student pilot attempted to level off by adding power but noticed no response and that the engine had lost power.
The CFI took control and began troubleshooting the loss of engine power. Despite attempts to restart the engine, the CFI was unsuccessful and initiated a forced landing to a nearby field, which was precluded by gusty winds and a high descent rate. The CFI stated that he conducted a "controlled landing" on a flat roof of a storage facility about 1.23 miles east of runway 26, where a post-crash fire ensued approximately 5 minutes later.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
During a telephone conversation with the NTSB IIC, the CFI reported that prior to the flight he observed three-quarters tank of fuel in both the left and right main fuel tanks and that the wingtip tanks were both full. The CFI added that during the flight, the student pilot did switch fuel tanks, but could not recall how many times or which tank was selected.
Examination of the accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that most of the airframe and two storage units were consumed by fire. All major structural components of the airplane were present at the accident site. The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.
Engine and Airframe Examination
Examination of the recovered IO-470-K (3) fuel injected engine, serial number 86342, revealed that it exhibited severe thermal and fire damage. All cylinders remained attached to the engine crankcase and all engine accessories remained attached to their respective mounts. The engine driven fuel pump was removed from the engine along with the top spark plugs, magnetos, vacuum pump, and rocker box covers. The engine crankshaft was manually rotated using a hand tool attached to an accessory drive mount pad. Rotational continuity was established throughout the engine and valve train. Thumb compression and suction was obtained on all six cylinders. The propeller assembly remained attached to the crankshaft propeller flange and had impact damage. The blades were bent and had leading edge gouging and chord-wise scratches. No mechanical anomalies were noted during the examination of the recovered engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Examination of the recovered airframe revealed that the fuselage and inboard portion of the right wing and entire left wing were fire damaged. A majority of the fuel lines for all four fuel tanks were consumed. In addition, all four fuel tanks appeared to be compromised. The fuel selector valve was found in the left main fuel tank position. No mechanical anomalies were noted during the examination of the recovered airframe that would have precluded normal operation.