Accident Details
On March 23, 2015, at 1545 eastern daylight time, a Hawker Beechcraft G36, registration N936B, was substantially damaged when it struck a residence during a forced landing near Inverness, Florida. The private pilot incurred minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated from Marco Island Airport (MKY), Marco Island, Florida, and was destined for Ocala International Airport (OCF), Ocala, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under Part 91.
According to air traffic control voice communication information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, along with position information downloaded from a handheld GPS receiver recovered from the wreckage, the pilot departed from MKY about 1425. The flight proceeded uneventfully until about 1540, when the pilot advised ATC, "we've got an engine problem, I see a runway off to my left, what is it?" The controller identified the airport as Inverness Airport (INF). The pilot initially believed the airplane could reach OCF but later decided to divert to INF. At 1541, the pilot reported one person onboard, 3 hours of fuel remaining, and that the engine was cutting out. The last recorded GPS position at 1544 showed an altitude of 302 feet, about 0.4 nautical miles northeast of the accident site.
The pilot reported sustaining a concussion and was unable to remember flight details.
Examination Findings
The airplane came to rest in a backyard. Both wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. During recovery, all fuel tanks appeared compromised; the left and right main fuel tanks were breached, with about 2-3 gallons and 1 gallon recovered respectively. The left wingtip tank was breached and empty; the right wingtip tank yielded 4 gallons after recovery. The fuel selector valve was positioned to the right main tank, and both wingtip fuel tank transfer pump switches were off. The fuel strainer was clear of debris or water.
Engine examination showed the crankcase intact, all cylinders attached, and continuity established. Cylinders had compression and suction. The oil sump contained 10 quarts. No anomalies were found in the fuel pump, throttle assembly, manifold valve, fuel nozzles, magnetos, ignition harnesses, spark plugs, or intake/exhaust systems. The turbocharger rotated freely; its controller and valves were undamaged. The propeller remained attached with minimal chordwise scratches and aft bending on two blades.
Fuel History
Review of fueling receipts and GPS data indicated that on March 6, 2015, the airplane was serviced with 42.4 gallons at Dothan, Alabama, with instructions to top off main tanks. On March 7, 28.5 gallons were added at Ormond Beach, Florida, with instructions "top main not tips." On March 12, 30 gallons were added at Lakeland, Florida, with 15 gallons per main tank. The accident flight began with the airplane parked at Wing South Airpark (FA37), Naples, Florida. The GPS track started at 1412, and the airplane departed at 1422, climbing to about 6,000 feet. About 1539, it began descending. A fuel consumption estimate using GPS data from the last fueling to the accident flight showed about 6.17 hours of flight time, with at least 124.5 gallons consumed from the total 132.5 available gallons.