History of Flight
On July 17, 2008, at 1526 eastern daylight time, a Beech A36, registration N36CL, collided with an instrument landing system (ILS) antenna during initial climb after takeoff from runway 5 at Vandenberg Airport (VDF), Tampa, Florida. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal Angel Flight mission. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The intended destination was Stuart, Florida. The private pilot and two passengers were killed.
A witness observed the airplane taking off from the last third of the runway, with landing gear retracted, drifting left of the runway centerline. The right wing tip struck a pole, and the airplane cartwheeled to the right before impacting the ground upright and catching fire. The witness reported light rain and no noticeable wind.
Review of air traffic control transcripts showed the pilot contacted the Tampa east satellite local controller at 1521:39 to request an instrument clearance. The controller issued a clearance to enter Lakeland airspace with a void time of 1530. The pilot acknowledged at 1523:56.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 81, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for single-engine land and instrument airplane, issued July 12, 1996. He was issued a third-class medical certificate on August 28, 2007, with no limitations. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer after his last medical and was undergoing hormone injections and radiation therapy. Common side effects of such treatment include irritation and pain. The FAA does not specifically disqualify cancer or its treatment. The pilot reported 4,950 total flight hours on his medical application. His current logbook was destroyed in the postcrash fire, but earlier logbooks from 1981–2001 were later submitted.
Aircraft Information
The Beech A36 (serial number E-1980, manufactured 1981) is a six-place, all-metal, low-wing, single-engine airplane with retractable landing gear. It was powered by a Continental IO-550-B 300-horsepower engine. The last annual inspection occurred on February 1, 2008; airframe total time was 6,225.9 hours. The engine had 3,527.98 total hours as of May 16, 2008, with 186.43 hours since major overhaul. The airplane was refueled on July 12, 2008, with 32.16 gallons of 100 low-lead fuel.
Weight and balance calculations showed a ramp weight of 3,448 pounds and a takeoff weight of 3,436 pounds after allowing 12 pounds of fuel burn for start, taxi, and takeoff. All weights were within center-of-gravity limits.
Meteorological Information
The VDF surface observation at 1522 reported wind from 220 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 2,800 and 4,800 feet, broken ceiling at 7,500 feet, temperature 25°C, dew point 24°C, and altimeter 30.01 inches of mercury.
Airport Information
Vandenberg Airport is located at 12 feet elevation, 6 miles east of Tampa. Runway 5 is 5,000 feet long and 150 feet wide. The ILS glide slope antenna was 49 feet tall, located 212 feet left of the runway centerline, abeam the precision approach path indicator. The runway has four taxiway intersections: E1 at the departure end, E2 1,300 feet from that end, E3 2,900 feet, and E4 at the opposite threshold. The glide slope antenna was 3,461.42 feet from the runway 05 threshold.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The aircraft struck the top of the ILS antenna with its propeller and nose gear door. The antenna was found flat on the ground aligned with the flight path. Debris was scattered along a crash debris line (CDL) extending 377 feet. The propeller and nose gear door separated, and the right wing contacted the ground at 254 feet down the CDL. The aircraft came to rest on a heading of 220 degrees. Examination revealed no preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction.
Medical and Pathological Information
Postmortem examinations of the pilot and both passengers determined the cause of death as suffocation due to inhalation of superheated air. Toxicology tests for the pilot were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and drugs.
Additional Information
The flight was arranged through Mercy Flight Southeast, Inc. (formerly Angel Flight Southeast). The female passenger requested a repeat mission for cancer treatment on July 11. The mission was posted on a private website. The accident pilot initially declined but later accepted. He had flown 36 missions since May 2004 and reported 5,010 flight hours on his annual membership renewal. The Beech A36 Pilot Operating Handbook indicates that at 3,450 pounds, sea level, 25°C, and no wind, a ground roll of 1,100 feet is needed to lift off, and 2,100 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle. With a 6-knot tailwind, those distances increase to 1,450 feet and 2,750 feet respectively.