Hawker Beechcraft CORP G36 accident near El Dorado, Kansas, April 9, 2008
On April 9, 2008 at about 6:25 pm local time, a Hawker Beechcraft CORP G36, registered N984W, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near El Dorado, Kansas. It was a flight test 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 improper installation of the fuel manifold valve's brass plug. Contributing to the accident was the unsuitable landing area for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 2008 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- El Dorado, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hawker Beechcraft CORP G36
- Registration
- N984W · no longer on the register · serial E-3849
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While climbing through 5,000 feet on the airplane's first post production test flight, a total loss of engine power was experienced. Following an unsuccessful engine restart attempt, the pilot elected to perform a forced landing on a nearby road. During the landing roll out the airplane's right wing sustained structural damage when it contacted a fence post. The airplane came to rest in an upright position and the pilot was able to exit the airplane unassisted. An examination of the engine revealed that a brass plug had fallen out of the fuel manifold valve, which resulted in the loss of engine power. The threads on the brass plug and in the fuel manifold valve were found unremarkable, suggesting that the brass plug was not sufficiently torqued at the time it was last installed. A determination as to the plug's last installation could not be established.
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 maintenance event during prior to flight
- Fuel starvation during enroute (climb to cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Incorrect service/maintenance
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Effect on equipment
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Other/unknown
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,100 hours in all; 63 in this make and model; 152 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 6,600 as pilot in command; 1,700 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 2, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-550 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hawker Beechcraft CORP
The flight
- Departed from: BEC Wichita KS at 6:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from AAO, 24 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.