Beech A36 accident near Yucca Valley, California, November 6, 2011
On November 6, 2011 at about 5:55 pm local time, a Beech A36, registered N64Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Yucca Valley, California (Yucca Valley Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 6, 2011 · about 5:55 pm local time
- Place
- Yucca Valley, California · Yucca Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N64Z · registry record · serial E-918
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a training flight, the flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction were practicing procedures for a simulated engine failure. According to the pilot receiving instruction, when he attempted to reapply power the engine was unresponsive. They were forced to make an off-airport landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. During the postaccident examination, the engine was test run; no mechanical anomalies were revealed that precluded normal operation. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.
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
- Simulated/training event during landing
- Loss of engine power (total) during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,735 hours in all; 1,114 in this make and model; 61 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 2,455 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,847 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 8, 2011; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,780 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 550 B4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L22 Yucca Valley CA
- Destination: L22 Yucca Valley CA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from NXP, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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 WPR12LA027.