Beech A36TC accident near Fayetteville, North Carolina, July 28, 2012
On July 28, 2012 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Beech A36TC, registered N6672X, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Fayetteville, North Carolina (Fayettevile Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2012 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fayetteville, North Carolina · Fayettevile Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36TC · all A36TCs on the register
- Registration
- N6672X · registry record · serial EA-32
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While conducting a preflight inspection, the pilot observed that the right wing fuel tank was leaking at the sump on the underside of the wing. He also noted that there was no fuel in the right wing tank; however, the left wing tank contained about 33 gallons. The pilot then departed on a cross-country flight with the intention of landing at an intermediate airport that had appropriate maintenance services to have the fuel sump inspected. Upon reaching the intermediate airport, the pilot elected to continue to his original destination airport instead. While on final approach for landing at the destination airport, the engine experienced a total loss of power, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field just short of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that both left and right wing fuel tanks were intact and absent of fuel; however, fuel quantity indicators for the tanks read 1/8 and 1/4 full, respectively. Postaccident fuel consumption calculations indicated that the airplane should have consumed about 24 gallons of fuel during the accident flight, thus it is possible that there was less fuel than the pilot observed in the left tank before departure. During a test run after fuel was supplied, the engine started on the first attempt, and ran smoothly and continuously through all power settings with no anomalies observed.
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 approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 784 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 720 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 23, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,623 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 23, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 3,849 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520-UB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Papa Alfa Co LLC
The flight
- Departed from: HSE Hatteras NC at 3:00 pm
- Destination: FAY Fayetteville NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 4:40 pm from FAY, 1 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
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 ERA12LA489.