Beech 36 accident near Independence, Missouri, July 16, 2020
On July 16, 2020 at about 10:20 pm local time, a 1976 Beech 36, registered N630JL, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Independence, Missouri (Midwest Ntl Air Center 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the No. 5 piston head and ring, which resulted in a total loss of engine power and the pilot’s decision to takeoff with a known mechanical issue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2020 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Independence, Missouri · Midwest Ntl Air Center · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 36 A36, built 1976 · all 36s on the register
- Registration
- N630JL · registry record · serial E-821
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initial climb, the pilot noted a rising cylinder head temperature which shortly after led to the airplane oscillating back and forth and responding slowly. The pilot set up for a forced landing and the airplane began to shake and was unable to hold altitude. During the approach to landing, the engine quit, and the pilot minimized his bank angle to stay out of a stall situation. When the airplane touched down, the pilot lost directional control and the airplane skidded off the road into a grassy area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that on the previous flight, he was in cruise flight at 8,000 ft when he noted that the airplane began “moving back and forth.” He scanned the instruments and saw the cylinder head temperatures (CHT) for the Nos. 5 and 6 cylinders were “running in the red” along with oil temperature. The pilot diverted and landed uneventfully. During the descent for landing, the engine temperatures returned to normal, and he landed uneventfully. The pilot called the owner and discussed what had occurred. The owner suggested that if the pilot was comfortable, he should return to the home airfield. The pilot agreed to return if the taxi and engine run-up checked normal. The engine run-up was normal, and the pilot departed the airport without incident. Postaccident examination of the engine found that the No. 5 cylinder head and piston ring had failed with signatures of denotation. Additionally, the turbocharger oil seal had failed. The pilot stated that he was not running the engine lean with fuel.
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 (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,470 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 264.4 in the last 90 days; 86.3 in the last 30 days; 555.6 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,651 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Strategos International Llc
The flight
- Destination: KLXT Lee'S Summit MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KLXT, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN20LA288.