Beech A36 accident near Tooele, Utah, November 24, 2021
On November 24, 2021 at about 7:40 pm local time, a 1974 Beech A36, registered N4370W, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Tooele, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 2021 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Tooele, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36, built 1974 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N4370W · registry record · serial E-559
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he began a descent to pattern altitude at the destination airport. When he reduced the propeller speed to 2,200 rpm, a “slapping sort of knock began as well as a shimmy in the plane.” The pilot arrested the descent, observed that the oil temperature and oil pressure were normal, and looked outside the airplane to verify that the flight control surfaces had no issues. The pilot then noticed that the airspeed had decreased to 130 miles per hour and that the controls became “heavy and very mushy.” The pilot initiated a forced landing to a nearby road but abandoned that plan when he observed a vehicle traveling on the road. The pilot advanced the propeller and throttle levers full forward but received no response from the engine, and he noticed that the cylinder head temperature gauge had “dropped completely to the left.” The pilot maneuvered the airplane to avoid power lines and landed in an open desert area. During the landing, the airplane struck trees, impacted terrain, and came to rest at a nose-low attitude. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any pre-existing mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. Utilizing the reported fuel quantity at the time of departure and fuel burn rate for the reported power setting, it was determined that the pilot had an adequate amount of fuel for the intended flight. As a result, the reason for the total 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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (descent)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute (descent)
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 207.8 hours in all; 75.5 in this make and model; 12.9 in the last 90 days; 11.9 in the last 30 days; 145 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 2, 2016
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,334.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 11, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-520-BA(10) (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAD Safford AZ at 4:33 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.39 inHg
- Observation at 12:35 pm from KTVY, 18 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KTVY 241935Z AUTO 36009KT 10SM SCT035 03/M03 A3039 RMK AO2=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 WPR22LA064.