Beech A36 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, July 18, 2010
On July 18, 2010 at about 9:02 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N9SH, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix Deer Valley Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power during descent due to fuel starvation that resulted from the pilot's mismanagement of the fuel system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2010 · about 9:02 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix Deer Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N9SH · registry record · serial E-981
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported flying for about an hour at 10,000 feet during a maintenance test flight to break in newly installed cylinders. The pilot reduced altitude to continue operating for another hour. As he changed altitude, he switched fuel tanks. Shortly after switching tanks, the engine lost power. During the forced landing, the airplane hit an automobile. Following the accident, about 1.5 gallons of fuel were recovered from the right fuel tank, and the left fuel tank was found empty. The right fuel tank was cracked and had leaked some fuel; the left fuel tank was not damaged. During the postaccident engine examination, no mechanical failures or malfunctions were revealed that would have precluded normal operation. The loss of engine power was most likely due to the pilot’s mismanagement of the fuel, resulting in fuel starvation.
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
- Fuel starvation during emergency descent
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 950 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,322 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 2010
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming Engines TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Destination: DVT Phoenix AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 220° at 17 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 106°F (41°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from DVT, 1 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR10LA357.