Beech E33 accident near Daggett, California, October 16, 2011
On October 16, 2011 at about 8:56 pm local time, a Beech E33, registered N7011N, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Daggett, California (Daggett-Barstow Airport). It was a personal flight 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
A loss of engine power due to the separation of a connecting rod, and the pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during a sudden maneuver to avoid power lines during the descent, which resulted in an unrecoverable aerodynamic stall and subsequent spin. Contributing to the accident was noncompliance with the manufacturer-recommended engine overhaul schedule.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 2011 · about 8:56 pm local time
- Place
- Daggett, California · Daggett-Barstow Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech E33 · all E33s on the register
- Registration
- N7011N · no longer on the register · serial CD-1123
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight, the pilot transmitted that he was in trouble and thought the airplane had experienced a propeller failure. The air traffic controller provided the pilot with instructions to the nearest airport, which was about 21 miles away. The pilot radioed that he thought that he could make it and began a descent toward the airport. A witness near the accident site observed the airplane flying in a southwesterly direction about 500 feet above ground level. As the airplane approached a set of suspended power lines, it pitched up 15 degrees, increased altitude by 100 to 200 feet, yawed to the right, made two 360-degree rotations descending vertically, and impacted terrain, consistent with an aerodynamic stall/spin. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed a 2-inch hole in the top of the crankcase between the Nos. 3 and 4 cylinders. The No. 1 piston connecting rod had separated from the crankshaft, bending the end cap flat with no thermal discoloration evident. Laboratory examination of the bearing insert half identified circumferential wear marks on the back side of the bearing insert. The wear marks on the backside of the intact insert, the lack of heat damage to the connecting rod journal, and the lack of heat damage to the connecting rod and end cap suggest that the bearing began to spin, which led to extrusion/ejection of half of the connecting rod bearing. Once the bearing was free, fragments of bearing material worked their way up between the piston and the cylinder wall causing damage to and embedding in the piston skirt. The increased clearances between the connecting rod end cap and connecting rod journal caused large stress amplitudes that resulted in a fatigue fracture of the connecting rod bolts. In 1998, after 1,002 hours of operation, the engine was top overhauled. A top overhaul does not inspect or replace items inside the crankcase, such as the main bearings or connecting rod bearings. At the time of the accident, the engine had accumulated 2,601 hours. The engine manufacturer recommends that the time between overhaul be 1,500 hours or every 12 years.
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 enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during emergency descent
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Scheduled maint checks › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 94 hours in all; 21 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 26, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,545 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 27, 2011; 77 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KVGT Las Vegas NV at 8:00 pm
- Destination: KAJO Corona CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from KDAG, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.