Hawker Beechcraft CORP G36 accident near Hailey, Idaho, July 23, 2011
On July 23, 2011 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Hawker Beechcraft CORP G36, registered N536BB, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Hailey, Idaho (Friedman Memorial Airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's inadvertent activation of the auxiliary fuel pump, which resulted in a loss of engine power during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2011 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hailey, Idaho · Friedman Memorial Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hawker Beechcraft CORP G36
- Registration
- N536BB · registry record · serial E-3854
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, he retracted the landing gear, and the engine lost power. The pilot lowered the landing gear and landed on the remaining runway. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a taxiway sign. The Garmin G1000 integrated flight instrument system data was extracted for analysis. The unit recorded flight and engine data for the time between engine start and the accident. The data revealed that during takeoff and initial climb the engine's fuel flow supply increased from about 35 gallons per hour (gph) to about 45 gph. Shortly thereafter, the engine's exhaust gas temperatures (egt) and rotations per minute (rpm) decreased to sub idle parameters. The airplane is equipped with a dual-speed, dual-pressure, electric vane-type auxiliary fuel pump. The pump is controlled by a single, three-position switch located on the pilot's subpanel to the left of the landing gear handle. The flight manual for the airplane includes a statement that reads "use of the auxiliary fuel pump in the HI position may cause an excessively rich mixture and severely reduce available engine power or even cause the engine to cease combustion completely. The HI position should not be used for takeoff unless there is a failure of the engine driven fuel pump." The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll he may have inadvertently switched the auxiliary fuel pump to the HI position. Because the auxiliary fuel pump toggle switch is located adjacent to the landing gear handle, it is likely that the pilot mistakenly toggled the fuel switch instead of the landing gear handle. Postaccident examination revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pumps › Unneccessary use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 314 hours in all; 111 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 224 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 11, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 439 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 2011; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSUN Hailey ID at 2:30 pm
- Destination: KUAO Aurora OR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 7,550 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 2:47 pm from KSUN, 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.
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.