Beech A36 accident near Shoreham, New York, December 11, 2016
On December 11, 2016 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1984 Beech A36, registered N69286, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Shoreham, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A fatigue crack of the crankshaft at the No. 4 main bearing journal.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 11, 2016 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Shoreham, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 UNDESIGNAT, built 1984 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N69286 · no longer on the register · serial E-2152
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the private pilot was conducting a cross-country flight, the airplane's engine started running roughly when the airplane was about 5,500 ft. The pilot pushed the mixture, propeller, and throttle controls to the full forward position, but the engine continued to run roughly. The pilot then decided to return to the departure airport. During the turn back to the airport, oil covered the windscreen. The pilot declared an emergency and asked air traffic control for radar vectors to a closer airport. The pilot was having trouble controlling the airplane, so he asked for vectors to another airport. Seconds later, he saw parts, which he thought were from the propeller, separate from the airplane. The engine then lost total power, and the pilot ditched the airplane into the water below. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft was fatigue fractured at the No. 4 main bearing journal. The origin surface area of the fatigue crack was obliterated due to relative movement between the mating fracture faces; thus, the investigation could not determine the cause of the fatigue crack.
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)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Ditching during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Water › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 31.6 in the last 90 days; 1.1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 16, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,650 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 2016; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,651 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental 550 (piston); 1,700 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ISP New York NY at 5:00 pm
- Destination: BAF Westfield/Springfield MA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 14,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.45 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from KISP, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on November 4, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record – Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report 17-060 | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Crankcase Bolt/stud Torque Values | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Evidence Control Form | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Reports from Parties to the Investigation | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.