Accident Overview
On March 23, 2013, at 1352 central daylight time, a Beech A36 single-engine airplane, registration N6038R, impacted terrain following a partial loss of engine power while maneuvering near Cordova, Illinois. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.
Flight Details
The airplane was registered to Romeo Aviation LLC, Bettendorf, Iowa, and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Davenport Municipal Airport (DVN), Davenport, Iowa, and was en route to Sterling, Illinois.
Preflight and Departure
Prior to departure, the pilot preflighted the airplane with no anomalies noted. A visual inspection of the fuel tanks showed a total of approximately 64 gallons of fuel. After takeoff, the pilot leveled the airplane at 3,500 feet, set cruise power configuration, and obtained a transponder code.
Loss of Engine Power
Approximately 10 minutes after reaching cruise altitude, the engine "coughed" and began to lose power. The pilot switched fuel tanks and attempted to regain engine power. The pilot reported that the engine produced limited power, but not enough to maintain altitude. Unable to reach an airport, the pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted power lines, which separated a portion of the right wing. The airplane came to rest upright in the field.
Maintenance and Pilot Experience
A review of maintenance records showed the airplane underwent its most recent annual inspection on January 16, 2013, at a total engine time of 887.9 hours. At the time of the accident, the engine had accumulated 898.2 hours. The pilot had accumulated 1,402 hours in single-engine airplanes, and 16.2 hours in the accident airplane.
Post-Accident Examination
On March 27, 2013, the airplane and engine were examined at a salvage facility by representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration and Continental Motors, Inc. Examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The engine was removed and sent to the manufacturer for further examination. An Insight Avionics GEM-610 engine monitor was also removed and sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders laboratory for data extraction.
On April 29, 2013, the engine was examined at Continental Motors, Inc, under NTSB supervision. Examination showed impact damage to one engine mount and two fittings on the fuel metering unit. The fuel pump was removed and functionally tested with no anomalies noted. The damaged metering unit fittings and engine mount were replaced, and the engine was functionally tested in an engine test cell; no anomalies were noted.
According to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders laboratory report, the GEM-610 unit monitored exhaust gas temperatures (EGT) and cylinder head temperatures (CHT) at a 6-second recording interval. It recorded three flights on March 3, 8, and 23, 2013. The accident flight recording showed variations in EGT and CHT trends, including a period where EGT 5 became the coldest after about 0823, and a rapid drop in EGTs and gradual decrease in CHTs starting at about 1810 into the recording.
Probable Cause
No probable cause was determined based on the available information.