Beech A36 accident near Ingalls, Indiana, May 1, 2013
On May 1, 2013 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N1568Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Ingalls, Indiana (None airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2013 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ingalls, Indiana · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N1568Y · no longer on the register · serial E-2646
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a 1 hour 50 minute cross country flight with about 30 gallons of fuel in each wing tank (about 27 gallons usable fuel per side). The flight was uneventful until the pilot started a descent from 8,000 feet to 3,000 feet; the engine then made "two pops" and "quit." The pilot said the engine didn’t run rough; "it just stopped." He made several attempts to re-start the engine but was unsuccessful. The pilot declared an emergency and landed in a field. Upon landing, the nose gear dug into the dirt and separated from the airplane. The right wing rear spar fractured during the landing; however, both wing fuel tanks were undamaged. About 1 quart of fuel was drained from the left wing tank, and the right wing tank contained about 30 gallons of fuel. The pilot could not recall where the fuel selector was positioned at the time of the power loss. Examination of the engine and fuel system revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot was feeding fuel to the engine from the left wing tank and did not switch to the right wing tank before the engine lost power or during the attempted restart.
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 (descent) defining event
- Fuel starvation during enroute (descent)
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 382 hours in all; 232 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: November 11, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,690 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 2012; 16.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wv Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: CKB Clarksburg WV at 11:00 am
- Destination: UMP Indianapolis IN
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KAID, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.