Beech A36 accident near Conroe, Texas, March 15, 2004
On March 15, 2004 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N789SA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Conroe, Texas (Lone Star Regional Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to the improper fuel type. Contributing factors were the improper aircraft servicing, lack of training by the fixed base operator, and the low cloud ceiling.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 2004 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Conroe, Texas · Lone Star Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N789SA · no longer on the register · serial E3173
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 2,500-hour pilot reported that the engine lost power during cruise flight while the airplane was in instrument meteorological conditions. As the airplane descended below the cloud layer, the pilot initiated a forced landing to a small field. An employee of a fixed base operator reported that he mistakenly refueled the airplane with 53-gallons of Jet-A fuel instead of 100 Low Lead fuel.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 15, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 5, 2003; 400 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CXO Conroe TX at 1:25 pm
- Destination: Wichita KS
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: vv at 100 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from CXO, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
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.
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.