Beech 36 N361TC accident near Los Banos, California

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

NTSB analysis

After almost 1 hour of flight, the pilot turned onto the left base leg of the traffic pattern at the destination airport, where he intended to practice takeoffs and landings. During the turn, the engine began to sputter. The pilot turned toward the runway and tried to maintain clearance from trees located on the outside of the airport perimeter fence; however, the propeller and landing gear impacted the fence. The airplane came to rest upright about 5 ft from the runway edge, resulting in substantial damage.

Postaccident examination of the engine and fuel system revealed no anomalies. The fuel selector handle had been removed, but the rod that rotated the valve remained intact and attached to the unit. The fuel selector was disassembled, and the ring was found located between detents. Based on its position, it may have been positioned between the left- and right-wing tip tanks; however, the position of the fuel selector at the time of the loss of engine power could not be determined. The pilot reported that there were 74 gallons of fuel onboard at the time of departure; however, neither the distribution of the fuel nor the fuel onboard at the time of the accident was determined.

The reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR19LA039 for the full record.