Beech A36 accident near New Market, Indiana, March 17, 2015
On March 17, 2015 at about 3:05 pm local time, a 1978 Beech A36, registered N900TM, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near New Market, Indiana (Crawfordsville Muni airport). It was a ferry 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and a loss of engine power en-route.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2015 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- New Market, Indiana · Crawfordsville Muni · 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 1978 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N900TM · registry record · serial E-1302
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the airplane was being ferried for maintenance of its fuel system. About 15 minutes into the flight, the pilot reported that he intentionally emptied the right main fuel tank to facilitate maintenance at the destination airport. Subsequently, the airplane lost engine power and he maneuvered the airplane for landing in an open field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right rear wing spar. According to a Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector who examined the airplane at the accident site, the fuel tanks were found void of fuel. The right tip tank had some fuel, but no usable 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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pumps › Not serviced/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,273 hours in all; 138 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 7,609 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 30, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,389 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 2, 2014; 131 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,780 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550 (piston); 702 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BAK Columbus IN at 2:41 pm
- Destination: CFJ Crawfordsville IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 4,504 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 16 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from KLAF, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA15CA022.