History of Flight
On April 2, 2008, about 1929 mountain standard time, a Beech 95-B55, N20480, collided with terrain during landing at Benson, Arizona. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, right wing, and rudder. The cross-country business flight departed Safford, Arizona, about 1848, with a planned destination of Benson. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The airport manager at Benson reported that he communicated with the pilot on the common traffic advisory frequency, advising winds from the west at 10 to 12 knots favoring runway 28. He observed the airplane approaching high and fast, about 50 feet agl at midfield, and heard the pilot broadcast an intention to go-around. The manager then heard increased engine sounds and saw the airplane climb out.
The pilot broadcast downwind and turning final. The manager noted the airplane was not as high or fast as the first approach but still higher and faster than expected. He lost sight of the airplane as it passed midfield about 10 feet agl, then heard a hard touchdown followed by increasing engine sounds. He saw a green light arc left, then heard a thud and engine sounds stop.
The manager notified emergency services and went to the site; the airplane was between the runway and taxiway. The occupants were fatally injured, and a fuel leak was present.
Personnel Information
The 53-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and multiengine land. He held a third-class medical certificate issued June 17, 2006, with a limitation to wear corrective lenses. His logbook indicated an estimated total flight time of 244 hours as of February 9, 2008, with 7 hours in the last 90 days, all in the accident airplane. He had an estimated 29 hours in this make and model.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Beech 95-B55, serial number TC-1862. It had an annual inspection dated July 4, 2007, and total airframe time of 3,905.2 hours. The Hobbs hour meter read 4,022.8 at the accident site.
Both engines were Teledyne Continental Motors IO-520E, each with 834.9 hours at the last annual inspection. Logbooks noted inspections and lower end overhauls following an off-airport forced landing on April 12, 2005.
The left engine was examined post-accident; after replacement of damaged components, it ran in a test cell without anomalies. The right engine sustained a fractured crankshaft; disassembly revealed no pre-existing anomalies precluding normal operation.
Airport Information
Runway 28 was 4,000 feet long and 75 feet wide, asphalt, with field elevation 3,829 feet. The common traffic advisory frequency was 122.8. The airport had runway end identifier lights and a precision approach path indicator (PAPI).
Wreckage and Impact Information
The first identified point of contact was a ground scar 150 feet perpendicular to the runway edge, 3,100 feet from the approach end. The debris path oriented on a magnetic heading of 226 degrees. The right engine crankshaft fractured; the right propeller was separated. The left propeller remained attached. Flight control continuity was established for ailerons, elevators, and rudder, and trim systems.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Cochise County Coroner completed an autopsy. Toxicological testing of pilot specimens found no carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, or tested drugs.
Tests and Research
Further examination of the wreckage revealed the fuel selector valves were ON; landing gear was extended and switch in DOWN position; flaps were retracted but operable. The cockpit elevator trim was in the green takeoff range; rudder trim indicated zero but the knob was broken. Both magneto switches were in BOTH; alternator and battery switches ON; electric fuel boost pump switches OFF. Fuel delivery was confirmed from the left tank; the right tank supply line was separated.
Propeller examinations indicated the left propeller had little rotational energy, consistent with low power at impact. The right propeller showed significant rotational energy and blade damage consistent with power production at impact.
A handheld GPS found in the wreckage contained a track log for the flight. Data showed the airplane's path from Safford to Benson, including a go-around and final approach. The last two GPS points indicated decreasing speed and altitude before the final location.
Probable Cause
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