Raytheon Aircraft Company A36 accident near Fallon, Nevada, July 10, 2013
On July 10, 2013 at about 11:45 am local time, a Raytheon Aircraft Company A36, registered N517DJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Fallon, Nevada (Fallon Municipal Airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 4 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A fatigue failure of the No. 5 connecting rod, which resulted in a catastrophic engine failure during the initial climb and a subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2013 · about 11:45 am local time
- Place
- Fallon, Nevada · Fallon Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raytheon Aircraft Company A36
- Registration
- N517DJ · registry record · serial E-3075
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during climbout, when the airplane was about 1,000 ft above ground level, the engine lost power. The pilot subsequently maneuvered the airplane to attempt to land on the departure runway. The airplane touched down short of the runway in rough, desert terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. A postaccident engine examination revealed that the No. 5 connecting rod cap and one of its two bolts had fractured midlength; the opposite bolt was intact with the nut still fastened. Metallurgical examination revealed that the No. 5 connecting rod had failed due to a fatigue crack that had initiated on the outer surface of the nut-facing boss. The crack propagated inward until the final cross-section of the connecting rod yoke failed in overstress, which then catastrophically breeched the left side of the engine case. The fatigue crack did not show any material imperfections; however, the surface finish of the boss where the fatigue crack initiated was consistent with it having been shot peened. Although shot peening is performed to impart compressive stresses to prevent fatigue crack initiation, excessive peening times may sufficiently alter the surface to create stress concentrators. However, the configuration of the fractured rod yoke precluded any accurate surface roughness measurements and, therefore, it could not be determined if improper surface modification had occurred.
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 initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 9,000 in this make and model; 116 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 1, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,294 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 26, 2013; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLX Fallon NV
- Destination: NV30 Dixie Vally NV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 03, 5,703 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 am from NFL, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.