Beech A36 accident near Charleston, South Carolina, January 26, 1999
On January 26, 1999 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N4976M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Charleston, South Carolina. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the total loss of engine power caused by an oil leak at the oil filter adapter, resulting in a broken connecting rod, a subsequent forced landing and impact with rough terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 26, 1999 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Charleston, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N4976M · no longer on the register · serial E-1271
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that about 7 minutes after takeoff the airplane's engine lost oil pressure and started to lose oil, followed by a loss of engine power. The airplane started a descent that the pilot could not arrest, and continued to descend at a rate of about 100-200 feet per minute. The pilot then heard, 'a loud bang...a shudder occurred in the engine compartment, and the engine lost power.' The pilot banked the airplane, and headed towards a clearing. The engine compartment appeared to be on fire, and smoke began to enter the cockpit. He elected to make a forced landing in a field. The engine was examined at the crash site, and a hole was noted in the case at the No. 4 cylinder. Oil was observed on the No. 4 cylinder wall, the oil dip stick did not show any oil, and there was evidence that oil had leaked out of the engine. The engine was examined on February 12, 1999, and the examination revealed that oil had leaked at the engine oil filter adapter. In addition, there were more threads showing on one stud than on the other. A torque wrench was used to check torque on the nuts. It was noted that one nut rotated 1 1/2 rotations before reaching the specified torque. The other nut rotated 1 rotation before reaching torque. The oil filter adapter was removed for further examination, and revealed that the gasket was found with a gap at the corner with a opening of about 1/16 of an inch. It was concluded, that the leak caused the engine to exhaust the oil supply, causing the No. 4 cylinder connecting rod to fail, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
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: 2,375 hours in all; 1,875 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 2,375 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 15, 1998; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520BA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHS at 8:45 pm
- Destination: HXD Hilton Head SC
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from CHS, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.