Beech A-36 accident near Beaver Dam, Arizona, October 7, 1995
On October 7, 1995 at about 7:12 pm local time, a Beech A-36, registered N3066W, was destroyed in an accident near Beaver Dam, Arizona (Mesquite Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper use of the fuel selector valve, which resulted in fuel starvation; and her failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 1995 · about 7:12 pm local time
- Place
- Beaver Dam, Arizona · Mesquite Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A-36 · all A-36s on the register
- Registration
- N3066W · registry record · serial E-489
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was competing in an air race and made a low pass over the destination airport. During the low pass, the airplane sustained a loss of engine power and crashed into an open desert area during the emergency descent/landing. The aircraft impacted in a near vertical nose-down and a 60-degree right wing down attitude. Wreckage examination revealed the fuel selector valve was positioned to the right tank. The right tank, although compromised, did not contain any fuel. The fuel line from the engine fuel pump to the fuel injector control unit did not contain any fuel. The left fuel tank contained 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,295 hours in all; 308 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,871 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 14, 1995; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-B-4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VNY Van Nuys CA at 4:46 pm
- Destination: 67L
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 5,100 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.