Beech A36 accident near Montrose, Pennsylvania, December 9, 1994
On December 9, 1994 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N36YE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Montrose, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 1994 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Montrose, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N36YE · no longer on the register · serial E-269
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ABOUT 1 HOUR AFTER DEPARTURE, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A ROAD. DURING THE ROLLOUT THE LEFT WING HIT A POLE AND TREE AND SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND SLID ABOUT 1/4 MILE, CROSSED OVER A DITCH, AND CAME TO REST. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE DID NOT REVEAL ANY FUEL SPILLAGE. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED NO ANOMALIES. ABOUT 1/2 CUP OF FUEL AND ABOUT 1/16 CUP OF WATER WAS FOUND IN THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS TORN APART DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE AND ITS FUEL QUANTITY WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND RAN WITH NO ANOMALIES NOTED. THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN 3.3 TACHOMETER HOURS SINCE IT WAS LAST REFUELED. DURING A POSTACCIDENT INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT, HE STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE ENGINE QUITTING, 'EVERYTHING APPEARED TO BE NORMAL.' ACCORDING TO BEECH PERFORMANCE CHARTS, THE MAXIMUM FUEL BURN FOR THE AIRPLANE IS 15.2 GALLONS PER HOUR. THE AIRPLANE HAS A TOTAL FUEL CAPACITY OF 80 GALLONS, OF WHICH 6 ARE UNUSABLE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,543 hours in all; 1,101 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 1,483 as pilot in command; 519 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,697 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 26, 1994; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-BA8 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Npa INC.
The flight
- Departed from: N92 Middletown DE at 12:20 pm
- Destination: ITH Ithaca NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 300 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from BGM, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.