Beech BE 36 accident near Alma, Michigan, March 7, 1987
On March 7, 1987 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Beech BE 36, registered N12KT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alma, Michigan (Gratiot Community airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 1987 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Alma, Michigan · Gratiot Community · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech BE 36
- Registration
- N12KT · registry record · serial E-1193
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, HE DETERMINED THAT BOTH GAS TANKS WERE FULL AND 'EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER.' AFTER APRX ONE HOUR OF LOCAL FLIGHT, THE PLT ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 27 AT GRATIOT COMMUNITY AIRPORT, ALMA, MICHIGAN. THE PLT STATED THAT HE THEN SWITCHED TO THE OTHER FUEL TANK, WHICH WAS FULL, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER 'ENCOUNTERED ENGINE OUT.' ACCORDING TO THE PLT, HE OBSERVED THE TANK INDICATOR AND CHECKED THE FUEL SLECTOR VALVE, WHICH 'SEEMED TO BE FIRMLY IN PLACE.' THE ACFT LANDED SHORT OF THE RWY, IN A DITCH PARALLEL TO THE RWY. INSPECTION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE HAD NO FUEL IN ITS SYSTEMS. THE #6 FUEL LINE FROM THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP WAS DRY. WHEN THE SELECTOR VALVE WAS MOVED TO THE LH AND RH POSITIONS, WITH THE ELECTRIC FUEL BOOST PUMP ON, THE ENGINE HAD FUEL FLOW OUT OF THE ENGINE FUEL PUMP OUTLET TO THE FUEL CONTROL.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 835 hours in all; 346 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,587 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 8, 1987; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO 520 8A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bonanza Aircraft Leasing CO.
The flight
- Departed from: GRR Grand Rapids MI at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from MBS, 29 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CHI87LA091.