Raytheon Aircraft Company A36 accident near Fayetteville, North Carolina, December 12, 2015
On December 12, 2015, a 1999 Raytheon Aircraft Company A36, registered N3241N, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Fayetteville, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel's application of an unapproved sealant to the engine case halves during engine overhaul, contrary to manufacturer's instructions, which resulted in lubrication restriction due to a bearing shift and the subsequent internal failure of the engine due to the loss of case through-bolt torque.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 2015
- Place
- Fayetteville, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raytheon Aircraft Company A36, built 1999
- Registration
- N3241N · no longer on the register · serial E-3241
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a cross-country flight at night, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The private pilot's attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The pilot attempted to glide the airplane to a diversionary airport, but when he realized the airplane would not reach the airport, he conducted a forced landing into wooded terrain. Teardown examination of the engine revealed that the No. 1 cylinder and No. 3 connecting rod had fractured. Metallurgical examination revealed that there was a gray rubbery substance on the case halves, through bolts, and main bearing saddle faces, which could have restricted oil flow. The engine manufacturer's overhaul manual and a service bulletin and service information letter (SIL) listed only one approved sealant for use between case halves, which was similar in color and texture to grape jelly not to the rubbery gray sealant found in the engine, which was not an approved sealant. Further, the SIL stated that the use of an incorrect sealant "on mating threads and between mating surfaces can cause incorrect torque application and subsequent engine damage or failure." Further, the No. 3 connecting rod journal exhibited heat damage and deformation, and the No. 3 connecting rod fracture was consistent with a lack of lubrication. Additionally, the No. 4 main bearing saddle boss exhibited fretting damage, consistent with bearing shift due to lack of torque on the through bolts and blockage of its oil port, which also would have restricted oil flow. Review of maintenance records revealed that the engine was overhauled about 20 months before the accident. The engine had been operated for about 300 hours during that time. It is likely that maintenance personnel applied the unapproved sealant to the engine case halves during the engine overhaul, which ultimately resulted in the total loss of engine power.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Unauthorized maint/repair › Maintenance personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 538 hours in all; 245 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 502 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,736 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 15, 2015; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,651 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B (piston); 1,736 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W29 Stevensville MD at 10:30 pm
- Destination: JZI Charleston SC
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N3241N 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.