Incident Overview
On November 24, 2021, at about 1240 mountain standard time, a Beech A36, registration N4370W, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Tooele Valley Airport (TVY) in Tooele, Utah. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. The flight was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight Details
The pilot reported departing Safford, Arizona, with 80 gallons of fuel. During cruise at 12,500 ft mean sea level (msl), the pilot used a 65% power setting, consistent with the Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) for that phase. While approaching Gunnison, Utah, about 85 miles south of Tooele Valley Airport, the pilot switched from the right fuel tank to the left. Subsequent descents were initiated to 10,500 ft msl and then 8,500 ft msl west of Provo, Utah. The pilot maintained a mixture setting 50° rich of peak throughout the descent. Near the Tooele Valley, the pilot descended to 6,500 ft msl and maneuvered around a ridgeline.
Engine and Landing
During descent to pattern altitude, the pilot reduced propeller speed to 2,200 rpm, at which point a "slapping' sort of knock began, as well as a shimmy in the plane." The pilot arrested the descent and observed normal oil temperature and pressure. After verifying no control surface issues, the pilot focused on engine performance. Airspeed decreased to 130 miles per hour, and controls became "heavy and very mushy."
The pilot initiated a forced landing to a nearby road but observed a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction and decided against landing there. When the pilot advanced propeller and throttle levers full forward, there was no engine response. The cylinder head temperature gauge had "dropped completely to the left of the gauge." The pilot pitched the airplane upward to avoid power lines and landed in an open desert area. During landing, the airplane struck multiple juniper trees before impacting terrain and coming to rest nose low, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing.
Postaccident Examination
The airplane was equipped with two 40-gallon fuel tanks, of which 74 gallons are usable. The POH indicated that at 65% cruise power, fuel burn is between 10.0 and 13.3 gallons per hour. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any pre-existing mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation of the engine.