Beech A36 accident near Wann, Oklahoma, April 27, 2014
On April 27, 2014 at about 6:25 pm local time, a 1987 Beech A36, registered N3078Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Wann, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and planning and inflight fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing in an area of unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 2014 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- Wann, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36, built 1987 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N3078Y · registry record · serial E-2386
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed on the accident flight, and after flying 1 hour 18 minutes using fuel from the left tank, the pilot switched fuel tanks, and the engine lost power. (A passenger reported that there was a strong headwind, so the pilot was diverting for fuel.) Attempts to restore power were unsuccessful. During the ensuing forced landing, the airplane's right wing collided with a tree before the airplane impacted terrain. The pilot said that, before departure on the accident flight, he had 20 gallons of fuel in each wing fuel tank. However, postaccident examination revealed no fuel in the uncompromised left wing fuel tank. The right wing fuel tank had been compromised, but there were no fuel stains on the ground and there was no odor of fuel in the immediate area. Later, the engine was functionally tested and operated satisfactorily at all power settings. Thus, the airplane likely departed with minimal fuel available in the right wing fuel tank; when the pilot selected the right tank during cruise flight, the engine likely lost power due to fuel exhaustion.
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
- Aircraft servicing event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,455 hours in all; 742 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1,455 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 17, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,692 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2014; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,663 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B (piston); 1,292 hours total
- Operator: Dakota N8465S LLC
The flight
- Departed from: K38 Washington KS at 5:07 pm
- Destination: KGCM Claremore OK
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 13 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.36 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KBVO, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
19 documents, released by the NTSB on August 21, 2014. 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.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.