Beech 3NM accident near Pope Valley, California, May 12, 2012
On May 12, 2012 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1952 Beech 3NM, registered N9540, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Pope Valley, California (Pope Valley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of power in one engine during takeoff, which resulted in a forced landing in a vineyard. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined from the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 2012 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Pope Valley, California · Pope Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 3NM, built 1952 · all 3NMs on the register
- Registration
- N9540 · registry record · serial CA-244
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the owner-pilot, the engine start and run-up were normal. Shortly after liftoff, when the airplane had reached an altitude of about 50 feet above the runway, the right engine lost power. Because the airspeed was still well below the minimum single-engine control speed and the landing gear had not yet been retracted, the pilot continued straight ahead and landed the airplane in a vineyard just beyond the end of the runway. The airplane's forward motion was stopped by multiple rows of metal-wire trellises oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel, and then the airplane nosed over onto its back. Lack of certain equipment and other resources prevented complete postaccident examination or testing of the airframe and engine, but the examination did reveal three anomalies. About 5 drops of water were found in the right main fuel tank, even though the pilot reported that he did not detect any water from any tanks during his preflight inspection and that the airplane had been in a hangar since the accident. It was possible that the engine ingested and was affected by some undetected water that migrated to a fuel inlet after the tail came up on the takeoff roll. The fuel suction crossfeed valve handle was found rotated about 70 degrees (of 90 degrees full travel) toward its OFF position, which is the takeoff setting. Because the valve is located under the copilot seat, it is more likely that the valve was not fully rotated before the takeoff rather than dislodged during or after the accident. According to a manufacturer's representative, an open crossfeed valve could interfere with fuel flow to the engines. However, the investigation was unable to positively determine whether the valve position did interfere with normal engine operation. Finally, the right engine fuel pump was not a unit specified by the airplane manufacturer. The investigation was unable to determine when that pump was installed or whether it had any significant performance differences from the manufacturer-specified units. However, based on the observed condition of the pump and the history of the airplane, the airplane had likely been operated uneventfully with that fuel pump for many 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 (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during initial climb
- 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
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,900 hours in all; 1,882 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: September 1, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,908 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 11, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 9,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W R-985 SERIES (piston); 7,000 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W R-985 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 05CL Pope Valley CA
- Destination: 05CL Pope Valley CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 3,700 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from STS, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N9540 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 WPR12LA201.