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Accidents · NTSB ERA19FA189 · Final report

Beech A36 accident near Southold, New York, June 8, 2019

On June 8, 2019 at about 1:14 pm local time, a 1990 Beech A36, registered N8014T, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Southold, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

A total loss of engine power due to a main bearing shift and the pilot’s subsequent failure to maintain a proper glide path to the selected forced landing site. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to operate the airplane with known mechanical deficiencies.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
June 8, 2019 · about 1:14 pm local time
Place
Southold, New York · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
2 people were killed.
Weather
visual conditions (good weather)
Aircraft
Beech A36, built 1990 · all A36s on the register
Registration
N8014T · no longer on the register · serial E-2561
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

The pilot departed on a cross-country flight when, shortly after takeoff, he announced to air traffic control that the airplane had experienced an engine failure and that he would perform a forced landing in a field. Radar data showed the airplane descending over an area of open fields, and surveillance video near the accident site captured the airplane at low altitude in a steep left bank before it descended out of view behind trees and impacted the ground. A mechanic stated that, several weeks before the accident, the pilot asked him to look at the airplane due to higher-than-normal engine oil temperature and lower than normal oil pressure. The mechanic subsequently discovered metal debris in the oil filter. He stated that he expressed concern to the pilot about operating the airplane multiple times in the weeks and days before the accident, as he felt the engine was rapidly degrading and was susceptible to a catastrophic loss. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 1 main aft bearing had shifted, was separated from the crankshaft, and sustained extensive thermal damage. The rear of the crankshaft was no longer connected to the main bearing and there was extensive internal and thermal damage. It is likely that the bearing shift resulted in the loss of engine power. The pilot’s decision to fly the airplane with known engine deficiencies increased the risk of a loss of engine power in flight. Following the loss of engine power, the pilot failed to maintain a proper glidepath to the forced landing site, which resulted in his low altitude maneuvering and impact with terrain.

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

  1. Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
  2. Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
  3. Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent

The NTSB's findings

  • Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
  • Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
  • Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Damaged/degraded

Pilot

  • Certificate: private
  • Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
  • Flight time: 11,090 hours in all
  • Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
  • Seat: left
  • Injury: fatal

The aircraft

  • Airframe total time: 4,695 hours
  • Last inspection: annual inspection, February 21, 2019
  • Maximum gross weight: 3,651 lb
  • Seats: 6
  • Landing gear: retractable
  • Engine: Continental IO-550 (piston); 906 hours total
  • Fire on the ground
  • Operator: Ri Aviation Services Llc

The flight

  • Departed from: ISP New York NY at 1:00 pm
  • Destination: BED Bedford MA
  • Flight plan: none

Weather at the time

  • Light: daylight
  • Wind: from 040° at 10 knots
  • Visibility: 10 statute miles
  • Sky: clear
  • Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
  • Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
  • Observation at 1:10 pm from KFOK, 9 miles away

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Flight crew2

Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report

14 documents, released by the NTSB on October 27, 2021. 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.

The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.

Other NTSB records under N8014T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time

2005-09-23IAD05CA140 · accident near Farmingdale, NY · substantial damage · no injuries
1983-09-18NYC83LA246 · accident near Succasunna, NJ · substantial damage · no injuries

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.