Beechcraft Corporation A36TC accident near Pendleton, Oregon, April 22, 2012
On April 22, 2012, a Beechcraft Corporation A36TC, registered N3862C, was substantially damaged in an accident during prior to flight near Pendleton, Oregon (Pendleton airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate glidepath for landing, which resulted in a collision with terrain short of the runway. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to secure the left-side fuel cap before departure. Contributing to the pilot's injuries was the broken shoulder harness.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 2012 · cases in 2012
- Place
- Pendleton, Oregon · Pendleton · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beechcraft Corporation A36TC
- Registration
- N3862C · registry record · serial EA-227
- 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 the airplane had been refueled before the flight and that the fuel had expanded during the day due to heat, which resulted in fuel draining from the vent. The pilot loosened the fuel caps to facilitate draining excess fuel from the tank; however, he forgot to resecure the left-side cap after he finished draining the fuel. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported to an air traffic controller that one of the airplane's fuel caps was not secure and requested permission to return to the airport for landing. However, the pilot did not maintain an adequate glidepath during the approach, and the airplane impacted terrain short of the runway. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. During the impact sequence, the pilot's shoulder harness webbing separated, resulting in a serious injury. Examination showed that the webbing met the original load requirements as specified by the manufacturer, and no photodegradation was evident.
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
- Aircraft servicing event during prior to flight defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Inadequate inspection other cases naming the fuel system
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › (general) › (general) › Damaged/degraded other cases naming the other and general
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › (general) › (general) › Failure other cases naming the other and general
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 7,500 in this make and model; 67 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 12,600 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 30, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,699 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 14, 2012; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDT Pendleton OR at 1:00 am
- Destination: HRI Hermiston OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,341 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from PDT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on April 19, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Tower Controller Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Beech Restraint System Testing | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Dupont and Celanese- Sunlight Degradation | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Materials Laboratory 15 - Factual Report 13-056 | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo 1. Airplane at Accident Site | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photo 2. Left Fuel Tank | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo 3. Shoulder Harness | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3862C on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 4,113 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Eastern Oregon Regional AT Pendleton · nearest airport
- Hermiston Municipal · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,864 since 1982 · 279 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,012 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR12LA178.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.