Beech A36 accident near Wellington, Florida, September 23, 2013
On September 23, 2013 at about 4:37 pm local time, a 1978 Beech A36, registered N40KG, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Wellington, Florida. 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to an interruption in fuel flow, which was most likely due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while performing the subsequent forced landing to a wet roadway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 2013 · about 4:37 pm local time
- Place
- Wellington, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36, built 1978 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N40KG · registry record · serial E-1283
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed for a planned 4-hour instrument flight rules, cross-country flight, and about 5 hours 13 minutes into the flight, the engine lost power. The pilot reported that he then landed the airplane on a wet roadway and lost directional control as the wheels hydroplaned on the wet surface. The airplane subsequently struck a sign and electrical power pole, resulting in substantial damage. The quantity of fuel onboard the airplane at the time of the accident could not be determined due to damage sustained to the airframe during the accident. Although the pilot advised an air traffic controller during the forced landing, "I believe I ran out of fuel," at least 12 usable gallons should have remained based on the amount of fuel the pilot reported the airplane had before departing on the flight and the total fuel use calculated by an onboard fuel flow indicator. A postaccident test run of the engine showed that it started normally and ran with no anomalies noted. Download of non-volatile memory from an engine monitoring device showed that the loss of engine power was immediately preceded by a rise in exhaust gas temperature and a rapid reduction in fuel flow, consistent with an interruption of fuel flow. The pilot did not report the position of the fuel selector before the loss of engine power, and its preaccident position could not be determined because the pilot had selected it to the off position before egressing the airplane after the accident.
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 (descent) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 646 hours in all; 533 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 488 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,651 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors IO-550-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Fourstars Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: IAD Herndon VA at 11:30 am
- Destination: BCT Boca Raton FL
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 4:47 pm from KPBI, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N40KG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ERA13LA428.