Introduction
On March 21, 2012, at approximately 0930 mountain daylight time, a Beech 35-C33 (N866P) sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near St. George, Utah. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured.
Flight Details
The personal cross-country flight originated from St. George at about 0905 with an intended destination of Phoenix, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. While in cruise flight at about 9,500 feet mean sea level (approximately 4,500 feet above ground level), the pilot observed that the engine’s exhaust gas temperature was higher than normal and fuel flow was lower than normal. Suddenly, all engine power was lost. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. During the subsequent forced landing, the pilot landed the airplane with the landing gear retracted on a road.
Damage and Examination
The accident resulted in substantial damage, including bent firewall and bulkhead. The airplane was recovered to a secure location for further examination.
An examination of the engine was conducted by a representative from Continental Motors Inc. and a Federal Aviation Administration inspector under the supervision of the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge. The fuel metering unit was undamaged. The throttle control arm moved freely by hand. The mixture control arm also moved freely by hand, but with no associated movement of the fuel control shaft and nut. The mixture control cable was removed, and the mixture control arm was found loose on the control shaft. A recordable digital torque wrench (range 24 to 240 inch-pounds) recorded no indication of torque on the nut. The mixture control arm was removed from the shaft; the machined chamfer had formed splines and exhibited deformation and movement of material. The nut and control arm mating surfaces showed rub marks. No evidence of any additional mechanical malfunctions was found during the engine examination.
Maintenance Records
Review of the airplane logbook maintenance records indicated that the airframe and engine had undergone the most recent annual/100-hour inspection on October 19, 2011, at an airframe total time of 5,840 hours and engine time since major overhaul of 1,165 hours. The pilot reported flying the airplane approximately 22 hours since that inspection.