Accident Description
Witnesses described the airplane as climbing at full throttle while at low altitude. The aircraft then rolled inverted and descended in a near-vertical attitude. The two individuals on board were brothers, both retired airline pilots. The pilot occupying the left seat owned a share of the airplane and had logged 50 hours in that make and model. The pilot in the right seat had previously flown light aircraft but had never flown the Beech S35.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the wreckage disclosed that the landing gear was up and the flaps were fully deployed. All three engine controls—throttle, mixture, and propeller—were found in the full forward position. The throw-over control wheel was positioned to the right side.
Aircraft Stall Characteristics
Pilots familiar with the Beech S35 Bonanza noted that the airplane has conventional flight and stall behavior in uncoordinated flight or during a cross-controlled stall. The Federal Aviation Administration's Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8033-3, Chapter 5-2) provides a description of cross-control stalls: the aircraft often stalls with little warning, the nose may pitch down, the inside wing may drop suddenly, and the airplane may continue rolling to an inverted position, which typically marks the beginning of a spin. The handbook emphasizes that recovery must be carried out before the airplane enters an abnormal attitude such as a vertical spiral or spin. It states that returning to straight-and-level flight is straightforward through coordinated use of the controls. However, the pilot must be able to recognize the imminent stall and take immediate action to prevent a fully stalled condition. The handbook further advises that this type of stall should not occur during an actual approach to landing, as recovery may be impossible before ground contact due to the low altitude.