Beech A36TC accident near El Paso, Texas, April 30, 2010
On April 30, 2010 at about 11:18 pm local time, a Beech A36TC, registered N3692Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near El Paso, Texas (El Paso airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A 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
- April 30, 2010 · about 11:18 pm local time
- Place
- El Paso, Texas · El Paso · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36TC · all A36TCs on the register
- Registration
- N3692Q · no longer on the register · serial EA-125
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed with approximately 5 hours of fuel on board for the planned cross country flight. Approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes into the flight, as the airplane was approaching the destination airport at 5,000 feet mean sea level, the engine suddenly stopped producing power. The pilot was unable to re-start the engine and elected to make a forced landing with the wing flaps and the landing gear fully extended. The airplane touched down about 2.5 miles short of the runway in rugged, desert terrain. During the landing, the gear collapsed and the wings collided with small sand dunes resulting in structural damage to the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing exhibited impact damage, but the fuel tank was intact. There was no evidence of any fuel in the tank and the green shrubs near the wing were not discolored from contact with fuel. The right wing was more extensively damaged and the fuel tank was ruptured. The smell of fuel was noted around the breached tank and it was empty. All of the fuel lines in the engine compartment were intact, secure, and showed no evidence of leaks. No fuel was found in the fuel line located between the firewall and the engine driven fuel pump; a small amount of fuel was in the fuel line from the fuel servo to the fuel distribution manifold. It could not be definitively determined which fuel tank was selected at the time the engine quit producing power.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,733 hours in all; 2,111 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 3,733 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,565 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 29, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sunnybrae 192 LLC Trustee
The flight
- Departed from: MYF Montgomery CA at 8:04 pm
- Destination: El Paso TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.