History of Flight
On February 22, 2020, at approximately 1111 central standard time, a Beech A36 airplane, registration N3266Q, was destroyed when it collided with terrain near Rogers, Minnesota. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to air traffic control data, the airplane departed Flying Cloud Airport (FCM) in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, at 1100, destined for Breezy Point Airport (8MN3) in Breezy Point, Minnesota. After takeoff, the airplane turned northwest and climbed to 2,000 feet mean sea level (msl). No radio communications were recorded after the airplane left FCM airspace.
During cruise flight, the airplane climbed from 2,000 to 2,300 feet msl and decelerated from about 170 to 110 knots groundspeed. It then turned left away from populated areas and descended with a steady vertical speed at 70 to 75 knots groundspeed. At 1,100 feet msl (200 feet above ground level), the airplane turned right. The last ATC data recorded showed the airplane at 1,000 feet msl (100 feet agl), 72 knots groundspeed, and a heading of 243°.
A witness observed the airplane flying at low altitude toward the southwest and noted an increase in bank angle, followed by a rapid descent. The airplane impacted forested terrain, and a post-crash fire occurred.
Aircraft Information
According to maintenance records, the originally installed IO-550-B engine was removed and a model IO-550-R engine was installed on October 17, 2019, under supplemental type certificate SA10145SC-D. After installation, a 60-minute engine run was completed, followed by a 130-minute break-in run. The engine oil was changed, and filters were inspected with no defects noted. No maintenance entries were recorded after October 17, 2019. Flight data indicated the airplane was airborne for about 16.5 hours after the new engine installation.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest upright. The cabin area and both wings sustained fire damage. The left wing was separated by tree impact, with its outboard section located about 20 feet from the main wreckage. The right-wing outboard section was separated and folded under the main wreckage.
The three-blade constant-speed propeller remained attached to the crankshaft flange, with no damage to the leading edges of the blades. All three blades exhibited rearward bending starting about 12 inches outboard of the blade roots. The propeller spinner showed no spiral damage. A tree branch near the wreckage had 45-degree cuts consistent with propeller impact.
The engine's top cowling was separated, exposing the engine. The flexible fuel hose B-nut connecting the firewall fuel outlet fitting to the fuel inlet fitting on the engine-driven fuel pump was found finger-tight. The green torque putty did not align between the fuel pump's inlet fitting and the B-nut shoulder of the outlet fitting. The fuel hose B-nut and outlet fitting were disassembled with no anomalies noted.
The fuel mixture control on the engine-driven fuel pump was at the full rich stop, with the assembly hardware secure. The throttle control cable was secured to the throttle arm. The engine-driven fuel pump drive coupling was intact, and the pump operated smoothly when manually rotated.
The fuel system was fire-damaged, and the fuel boost pump switch was not located. Disassembly of the fuel selector valve revealed it in the left tank position; no obstructions were found in the fuel strainer screen. Both fuel filler caps were installed in their respective filler necks.
The horizontal stabilizers, elevators, vertical stabilizer, and rudder remained attached. Flight control continuity was confirmed to the extent possible due to fire damage. Both flap actuators were in the retracted position, and all landing gear were retracted. Cockpit instruments were fire-damaged, and no readings were possible.
An engine test run was conducted at the manufacturer's facility with NTSB oversight. Nominal parameters were observed during the run, which was abbreviated to 3-minute intervals due to concerns about a fatigue crack in the propeller flange. After the run, cylinder compression testing showed values of 60/80, 65/80, 70/80, 69/80, 70/80, and 72/80 psi for cylinders 1 through 6, respectively.
Medical and Pathological Information
According to the autopsy report, the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. The medical examiner identified focally severe atherosclerosis in the pilot's right coronary artery (75-80%) and left anterior descending coronary artery (75%). No other significant natural disease was identified. FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory toxicology testing was negative for ethanol and tested for drugs.