Beech B36TC accident near Akron, Colorado, June 23, 2011
On June 23, 2011 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Beech B36TC, registered N93PP, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Akron, Colorado (Colorado Plains Regional airport). It was a personal 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
The mixture control cable disconnected from the cable housing attach clamp, which resutlted in the pilot's inability to add power when needed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2011 · about 3:15 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Akron, Colorado · Colorado Plains Regional · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B36TC · all B36TCs on the register
- Registration
- N93PP · registry record · serial EA-531
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reduced power for landing because the approach was slightly high. When he added power to arrest the descent, the engine failed to respond. The airplane landed short of the runway. The impact drove the main landing gear through the right wing. Examination and functional testing of the engine revealed that the mixture control cable was disconnected from the cable housing attach clamp. The cable was reattached and the engine functioned normally with no anomalies noted.
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 (partial) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Mixture control › Inoperative other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,390 hours in all; 64 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 3,267 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 12, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,730 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 14, 2011; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,850 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-UB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Arizona Thunderbolts LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 2V6 Yuma CO at 3:00 pm
- Destination: Akron CO
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 11, 7,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from KAKO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on October 4, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Form 6120, Pilot-operator Aircraft Accident Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpt from the Beech B36TC Illustrated Parts Catalog. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Parts Description. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Excerpt from the Beech B36TC Illustrated Parts Catalog, Showing Mixture Control Cable and Clamp. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 1. Engine Compartment and Firewall as Viewed from Left Side of Airplane. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 2. Mixture Control Cable and Clamp. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photos 3 and 4. Another View. Note Mixture Control Clamp Does Not Appear to Be Crimped. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N93PP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N93PP on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Beechcraft B36 Bonanza 308 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Beechcraft 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-UB 27 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Colorado Plains Regional · nearest airport
- Yuma Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Colorado 2,860 since 1982 · 383 in the last ten years
- Colorado 7,486 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N93PP 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN11LA457.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.