Raytheon Aircraft Company A36 accident near Enumclaw, Washington, March 4, 2018
On March 4, 2018 at about 11:58 pm local time, a 2003 Raytheon Aircraft Company A36, registered N207PC, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Enumclaw, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to oil starvation as a result of a loose oil line B-nut.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 2018 · about 11:58 pm local time
- Place
- Enumclaw, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raytheon Aircraft Company A36, built 2003
- Registration
- N207PC · no longer on the register · serial E-3503
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was at cruise altitude en route on a cross-country flight from Arizona to Washington when he noted that the engine oil pressure indicated zero and the manifold pressure was near zero. He then heard “…a loud bang, as though the engine had thrown a rod.” The cabin filled with smoke and oil covered the windscreen, and the pilot conducted a forced landing into a stand of trees, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage. Examination of the airframe revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. An examination of the engine revealed three holes in the crankcase, each consistent with an internal engine failure. All six cylinders remained attached to their respective cylinder bays; there was no indication of impact damage. The Nos. 2, 4 and 5 connecting rods had separated from the crankshaft. All rod bearings displayed lubrication distress consistent with oil starvation. The oil line B-nut attached to the turbocharger scavenge check valve was loose. Based on the available information, it is likely that the loose oil line B-nut resulted in a gradual loss of oil during the long cross-country flight, which subsequently resulted in the separation of the connecting rods due to oil starvation and a total loss of engine power.
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 defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › Fasteners › Not serviced/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 930 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 820 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,069.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 17, 2017; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,651 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550B39 (piston); 1,069 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NYL Yuma AZ at 6:00 pm
- Destination: PAE Everett WA
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; ovct at 800 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from SEA, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on March 10, 2021. 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 | Engine Data Monitor - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Engine Data Monitor - Specialist's Factual Report - Attachment 1 | data file | Download |
| 3 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Site Maps | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Continental Motors Engine Examination Report | PDF, 40 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Textron Technical Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Evidence Control Forms | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
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.