Accident Overview
On June 23, 2011, at approximately 0915 mountain daylight time, a Beech B36TC aircraft, registration N93PP, impacted terrain short of the runway at Colorado Plains Regional Airport (AKO) in Akron, Colorado. The airplane was registered to and operated by Arizona Thunderbolts LLC of Phoenix, Arizona, under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Yuma (2V6), Colorado, at about 0900 and was en route to AKO.
Pilot Account and Damage
According to the pilot, he reduced power for landing because he was slightly high. When he added power to arrest the descent, the engine failed to respond. The airplane subsequently landed short of the runway. The impact drove the main landing gear through the right wing. The pilot and the passenger onboard sustained minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged.
Post-Accident Examination
During a functional test of the engine, the engine was started using high boost prime. When low boost was selected, the engine quit. A second examination revealed that the mixture control cable was disconnected from the cable housing attach clamp. When the mixture control was moved inside the cockpit, the cable and housing moved together. The mixture control cable was reconnected and the engine was functionally tested again. The engine operated at all power settings, from idle to 2,800 rpm, and mixture adjustments were made with no anomalies noted.