| Crash location | 38.077500°N, 117.042222°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Tonopah, NV
38.067155°N, 117.230082°W 10.2 miles away |
| Tail number | N191HL |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 30 May 2018 |
| Aircraft type | Beech A36 |
| Additional details: | None |
On May 30, 2018, at 1108 Pacific daylight time a Beech A36 airplane, N191HL, landed hard on a highway near Tonopah, Nevada, following a loss of engine power after takeoff from Tonopah Airport. The private pilot and passenger were not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.The cross-country flight originated from Tonopah at 1100, and was destined for Dodge City Regional Airport, Dodge City, Kansas.
The pilot reported that during the preflight inspection he checked the engine oil, and the dipstick indicated the oil level to be 12 quarts. The departure was uneventful and having reached an altitude of about 8,000 ft mean sea level, he began to smell smoke, and then heard a popping sound. The engine then began to lose power, and he initiated a return to the airport. During the descent the engine lost all power, and he maneuvered the airplane for landing on a highway. The landing approach was obscured by obstacles including a set of power distribution cables, and the airplane landed hard on the highway median.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage and both wings, and two holes were observed in the side of the engine crankcase.