Accident Overview
On August 15, 2012, at 0727 eastern daylight time, a Beech A36TC, registration N678DR, was substantially damaged when it struck trees and terrain during a forced landing near Clifton Park, New York. The pilot, a certificated airline transport pilot, and a pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the business flight conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight departed Albany International Airport (ALB), Albany, New York, at 0724, and was destined for Plattsburg Airport (PBG), Plattsburg, New York.
Flight and ATC Communications
Review of air traffic control (ATC) data showed that the pilot contacted ATC around 0720, requesting clearance to taxi for departure. The controller initially instructed the pilot to taxi to runway 1 via taxiways D and A. The pilot accepted an intersection departure from runway 1 at taxiway D. At 0722, the pilot requested departure from that intersection but was advised of a 3-minute delay due to wake turbulence from a previously departed Boeing 737. The pilot waived the delay, and takeoff clearance was issued about 1 minute later. The pilot also received a departure heading of 040 degrees and a wake turbulence warning.
The airplane departed runway 1 at 0724, turning northeast and continuing to climb. At 0725, while at 1,100 feet msl, the pilot reported, “eight delta romeo just lost our engine.” No further transmissions were received, and radar contact was lost about 30 seconds later at 300 feet msl.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The pilot, 68, held an airline transport pilot certificate with multiple ratings, including airplane single-engine land, and a flight instructor certificate. His most recent second-class medical certificate, issued March 1, 2012, included the limitation “must have available glasses for near vision.” According to flight logs, he had accumulated 11,008 total flight hours, with 1,110 hours in the accident airplane make and model. In the 90 days before the accident, he flew 143 hours, 34 of which were in the accident airplane. The pilot’s son stated that the pilot was a friend of the aircraft owners and used the airplane frequently. The passenger held a pilot certificate but had not flown extensively recently.
The 1981-model Beech A36TC was equipped with a Continental Motors TSIO-520-UB turbo-supercharged, fuel-injected engine. A factory rebuilt engine was installed in May 1996 at an aircraft total time of 1,591 hours. The most recent annual inspection was completed on October 15, 2011, at 3,190 total aircraft hours. At the time of the accident, the airframe had 3,364 total hours, and the engine had 1,773 hours since installation.
Wreckage and Engine Examination
The accident site was in a residential area about 3 miles northeast of ALB, at an elevation of 260 feet. Initial impact occurred with tree limbs about 30 feet high, followed by a 150-foot wreckage path oriented approximately 320 degrees magnetic. The main wreckage consisted of the fuselage and inboard wing sections, with the outboard portions of both wings separated. Control continuity was confirmed for elevator, left aileron, and rudder; the right aileron bellcrank was fractured. The landing gear was retracted. The fuel selector was found in the left tank position, and fuel system examination revealed no obstructions or breaches. Residual fuel consistent with 100LL aviation fuel was present, with no water or debris. The auxiliary fuel pump switch was in the HIGH position, but the surrounding structure was deformed from impact.
The engine was removed and shipped to the manufacturer for a test run. Impact damage was mainly to the aft portion. After replacing several components, the engine started normally, idled smoothly, and ran at full power without hesitation or interruption. However, the right magneto was found inoperative during testing. Examination revealed corroded points; after cleaning, the magneto operated normally on a test stand.
Additional Information
The airframe manufacturer published an emergency procedure for loss of engine power immediately after lift-off. After ruling out fuel exhaustion, it directed the pilot to set the auxiliary fuel pump to LOW if a failed engine-driven fuel pump was suspected, and then to HI. A warning stated that the HI position should only be used for priming or if the engine-driven pump fails, as using HI when the pump is operating could cause an overly rich mixture and possible engine stoppage. The checklist also advised verifying that magnetos were set to BOTH if an ignition problem was suspected.