NTSB CAROL · Event
Event CEN20LA346
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
A loss of engine power for a reason that could not be determined.
Factual narrative
On August 16, 2020, about 1300 central daylight time, a Beech A36 airplane, N3256V, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near San Benito, Texas. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff from the Kornegay Private Airport (53XS), the engine lost partial power. He activated the electric fuel pump at which time the engine lost all power. The pilot attempted to return to his private airport but landed short with the landing gear retracted in a cotton field. The airplane's forward fuselage was substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine was conducted following removal of the airplane from the accident site with no preimpact anomalies found with regard to the airframe, engine, or associated systems. The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff from his private airstrip, the airplane’s engine lost partial power. He activated the electric fuel pump at which time the engine lost all power. The pilot attempted to return to his private airport but landed short with the landing gear retracted in a cotton field. The airplane's forward fuselage was substantially damaged. Examination of the airplane after the accident did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would explain the loss of engine power. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- — Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2020_CEN20LA346.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type. Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- arXiv 2022 · arXiv preprint
Zero Touch Coordinated UAV Network Formation for 360° Views of a Moving Ground Target in Remote VR Applications
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with on-board cameras are widely used for remote surveillance and video capturing applications.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2021 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Internet of Things 36-rotor Multicopter for Ionizing Radiation Surveying
This paper presents an Internet of things 36-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle suitable for radiological surveying of buildings and facilities.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Other - NACA Research Memorandum
Ditching Tests of Two Models of the Army B-36 Airplane
The ditching characteristics of the Army B-36 airplane were determined by testing 1/20- and 1/30-scale dynamic models in calm water in Langley tank no. 2 and at the outdoor catapult.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Other
Differential Pressures on a Pitot-venturi and a Pitot-static Nozzle over 360 Degrees Pitch and Yaw
Measurements of the differential pressures on two navy air-speed nozzles, consisting of a Zahm type Pitot-Venturi tube and a SQ-16 two-pronged Pitot-static tube, in a tunnel air stream of fixed speed …
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Technical Memorandum (TM)
Flutter clearance of the Schweizer 1-36 deep-stall sailplane
A Schweizer 1-36 sailplane was modified for a controlled, deep-stall flight program. This modification allowed the horizontal stabilizer to pivot as much as 70 deg leading edge down.
- NASA NTRS 2026 · Technical Memorandum (TM)
Assessing National Airspace System Impact of the Hybrid Electric Turboprop Commercial Freighter
The Hybrid Electric Turboprop Commercial Freighter (HETCOF) is a large turboprop aircraft using hybrid electric propulsion designed to reduce cost and emissions for narrowbody cargo operations capable…
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