Beech A36 accident near Pensacola, Florida, December 28, 1996
On December 28, 1996 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N23652, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pensacola, Florida (Pensacola International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's mismanagement of the fuel supply that resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent loss of engine power. A factor was low ceilings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 28, 1996 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Pensacola, Florida · Pensacola International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N23652 · no longer on the register · serial E-1295
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight had arrived at the destination airport, and the pilot had completed an instrument approach, but low clouds prevented him from landing. He requested a second instrument approach. While on a five mile final, the pilot experienced a loss of engine power. Efforts to restart the engine failed. The airplane collided with trees five miles short of the airport. Examination of the airframe failed to disclose a mechanical problem or a system malfunction. During the examination of the wing assembly, there was no fuel recovered from the left fuel tank. The right wing displayed evidence of hydraulic fluid action in the vicinity of the fuel tank installation; the left fuel bladder was not damaged. The engine operated through all power ranges during the functional test. The aircraft fuel selector was in the left tank position.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 3,500 as pilot in command; 1,630 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,728 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 20, 1996; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B-6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TPF Tampa FL
- Destination: PNS
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 7,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:05 pm from PNS, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.