Beech A36 accident near Santa Monica, California, March 13, 2006
On March 13, 2006 at about 5:43 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N16JR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Monica, California. 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 failure of an aviation maintenance technician to properly torque and cotter pin the number 2 connecting rod bolts at their attach point to the crankshaft, which resulted in the separation of the connecting rod in flight, and complete power loss.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 2006 · about 5:43 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Monica, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N16JR · no longer on the register · serial E433
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine lost power during the takeoff-initial climb and the pilot ditched the airplane in the ocean. Examination showed that the number 2 connecting rod fractured from the crankshaft. Metallurgical examination of the connecting rod, and associated bolts, nuts, and bearings, showed that following the first nut and bolt separation, the overall separation was not instantaneous. After the first nut unthreaded from its respective bolt, subsequent increased loads on the opposite bolt then stripped the threads of the other nut that had partially unthreaded from its bolt. Furthermore, there was no evidence of cotter pin installation. In general, a properly torqued nut and connecting rod bolt will not loosen under normal operational conditions. The engine underwent a field overhaul 735.31 hours prior to the accident. At 233.59 hours prior to the accident, the cylinders were removed for a blow by condition during an annual inspection; however, the aviation maintenance technician who performed this work stated that he did not remove the connecting rods from the crankshaft. Review of the autopsy results and impact damage to the wreckage indicated that the occupants' use of shoulder harnesses would have significantly increased their chances of survival.
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: 428 hours in all; 189 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 342 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,510 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005; 3,555.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-520-BA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SMO Santa Monica CA at 5:35 pm
- Destination: SDM San Diego CA
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from KSMO, 2 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.