Beech A36 accident near Davenport, Iowa, October 16, 2003
On October 16, 2003 at about 3:17 am local time, a Beech A36, registered N25496, was substantially damaged in an accident near Davenport, Iowa (Davenport Municipal airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the improper installation of the fuel nozzle. Also causal was the engine manufacturer's improper installation instructions for the nozzle pressure port plug on the fuel manifold valve. A factor associated with the accident was the corn crop which was contacted during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 2003 · about 3:17 am local time
- Place
- Davenport, Iowa · Davenport Municipal · 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
- N25496 · registry record · serial E-2305
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane collided with a corn crop following a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff. The pilot stated that during another flight earlier on the day of the accident, he noticed an odor of fuel. He was unable to identify the source of the smell. The airplane operated normally and the fuel flow was normal. The pilot reported that during the next flight, he was once again able to smell fuel and when climbing through 3,000 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine. After landing in the corn field, smoke entered the cabin. Post accident inspection of the engine revealed the nozzle pressure port plug on the aft side of the fuel manifold valve was not in place, nor was it located. Blue fuel stains were evident under the left magneto and on the engine case under the right cylinders. The plug hole and the area surrounding the hole were inspected and there was no evidence of torque putty (Loctite) having been used when the plug was installed. The injector line fittings and the fuel inlet fitting had torque putty applied to them. The engine had operated 10.1 hours since it was overhauled. Continental Motors reviewed their build-up procedures for the IO-550 engines and determined that the requirement for applying Loctite to the suspect fitting had been removed from the procedures. Continental Motors subsequently issued a Quality Alert re-inserting the requirement for Loctite to be applied to the nozzle pressure port plug at installation. The procedures manual and build-up instructions for the IO-550 were also revised to include the requirement that Loctite be applied to the plug.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,047 hours in all; 76 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,834 as pilot in command; 623 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 15, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,091 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 3, 2003; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B74 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Carver Aero
The flight
- Departed from: DVN Davenport IA at 3:10 am
- Destination: MDW Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 am from MLI, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N25496 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.