Beech A36 accident near San Gabriel, California, November 15, 2009
On November 15, 2009, a Beech A36, registered N17803, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near San Gabriel, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the exhaust band V-clamp during cruise flight, which resulted in an in-flight fire and a subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 2009
- Place
- San Gabriel, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N17803 · no longer on the register · serial E-1031
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 15 minutes after takeoff, witnesses observed the airplane make a forced landing adjacent to a railroad track. The airplane touched down partially on the track and bounced several times before coming to rest about 500 yards beyond the initial point of impact. The witnesses reported that the engine was at idle power during the shallow approach. The fuselage and engine area were thermally damaged and the pilot suffered fatal injuries due to a fire. A postaccident examination revealed that a section of the upper left cowling had localized fire damage that was not attributed to the postimpact fire. The left cowling was placed in its normal position just forward of the airplane fuselage. A matching thermal pattern was noted in a small section of the airplane skin just aft of the firewall. Further examination revealed that the left exhaust system transition pipe and V-band clamp had separated from the engine and that the V-band clamp exhibited evidence of corrosion. A metallurgical examination of the V-band clamp revealed that it had fractured through the strap adjacent to a gap between the V-shaped clamping segments. The separation was a result of an overstress fracture of the strap, which was already weakened due to localized oxidation. It is likely that the failure of this clamp resulted in the initiation of an in-flight fire in the engine compartment area.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine exhaust › (general) › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 850 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,255 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, November 6, 2009
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: POC La Verne CA
- Destination: VNY Van Nuys CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from FUL, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N17803 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.