Beech B36TC accident near Buena Park, California, November 27, 2006
On November 27, 2006 at about 1:00 am local time, a Beech B36TC, registered N3144D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Buena Park, California (Fullerton Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a fuel starvation induced loss of engine power due to pilot's inadequate fuel system management.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 2006 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Buena Park, California · Fullerton Municipal Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech B36TC · all B36TCs on the register
- Registration
- N3144D · no longer on the register · serial EA-472
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a loss of engine power and descended into a single family residence 0.3 miles from the destination airport. The pilot estimated a total flight time en route of 2 hours 38 minutes, with the total fuel on board equating to 4 hours 53 minutes. While in traffic pattern, the engine experienced a loss of power and the pilot declared an emergency. A witness stated that he noticed the accident airplane flying low and the propeller appeared as though it was not producing power. Fueling records at the departure airport disclosed that the aircraft was last fueled immediately prior to departure with the addition of 45 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel. According to the pilot, the addition of the fuel filled the aircraft tanks to a total of 90 gallons (45 in each tank). The fueler was contacted several days after the accident. He indicated that he did not fill each tank to the maximum capacity, rather he evenly distributed the 45 gallons of fuel to each side. Each wing's total fuel capacity was 54 gallons, of which 3 gallons were unusable. Each wing was equipped with a fuel quantity sight gage that reads within the calibrated area of 25 to 30 gallons. The right wing was impact damaged with numerous perforations. The inboard fuel bladder was drained via the bottom sump and found to have about 1 gallon of fuel. The left wing was separated from the fuselage. Removal of the inspection panels on the left wing revealed that the fuel bladders were intact. There appeared to be only several ounces of fuel within the outboard bladder; no other fluid was found in the left wing. The fuel selector was found in the "OFF" position and had been turned to OFF by a first responder. The engine was examined and test run; no mechanical malfunctions or failures were found with the engine that would have precluded it from operating normally. The non-volatile memory of an engine data management system revealed that the accident flight encompassed a duration of 3.66 hours. The total fuel used during the last flight was 64.3 gallons. Shortly before the accident, the engine's fuel flow dropped from 15.9 to 7.1 gallons per hour. Thereafter, the fuel flow was between .3 and 6.2 gallons per hour. The battery voltage remained fairly constant, consistent with the electrical system operating normally. The pre-crash integrity of the fuel system could not be verified due to the extent of airplane damage incurred during the accident.
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: 2,138 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,074 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2006; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,850 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental TSIO-520-UB12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O85 Redding CA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: FUL Fullerton CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 06, 3,121 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
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.