Beech A36 accident near Nephi, Utah, June 20, 1998
On June 20, 1998 at about 2:21 am local time, a Beech A36, registered N3861K, was destroyed in an accident near Nephi, Utah (Nephi Municipal Airport). 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
The improper installation of the turbocharger exhaust stack by unknown maintenance personnel and the subsequent fire in the engine compartment due to the exhaust gas leak from the turbocharger. Factors were the total loss of engine power due to fuel line failure and subsequent fuel starvation, the pilot not following proper emergency procedures, and the loss of aircraft control due to the pilot's incapacitation following the spread of the fire to the cabin area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 1998 · about 2:21 am local time
- Place
- Nephi, Utah · Nephi Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N3861K · no longer on the register · serial E-1842
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported to Salt Lake City ARTCC that 'I've lost an engine and the cockpit is filling with smoke.' Five minutes later the pilot reported that 'my cylinders are all blown, I've got smoke comin' through.' He stated that he would shut off the electrical power as soon as the landing gear was down. A witness observed N3861K appear from behind a one-story building flying 'what appeared to be straight up in the air, and then it veered sharply to the right, then went straight down.' The airplane had been modified with a turbonormalizing system and the installer recommended that the tailpipe be removed for internal inspection of the turbocharger every 100 hours. Postaccident examination of the turbine exhaust flange revealed a 3-inch portion was missing and the fuel selector was found on the right main fuel tank. Several items from the airplane were found outside the postimpact fire area and they exhibited fire damage: the cabin entrance door, the cargo door, a passenger's shoe, and the engine cowling. The firewall had an 18 inch hole burned through it. Toxicology tests on the pilot revealed that fluoxetine (trade name Prozac, a non-approved drug for flight status) was present in his blood.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,350 hours in all; 700 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,228 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 1997; 161 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO520BB16B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VGT Las Vegas NV
- Destination: U14
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 18 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 am from PVU, 31 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.