Fatal Emergency Landing of Beech 95-B55 in Alaska (N98HA)

Incident Overview and Flight History On August 10, 2008, at approximately 2140 Alaska daylight time, a twin-engine Beech 95-B55, registration N98HA, sustained substantial damage during an emergency landing in mountainous, tree-covered terrain about 28 miles north of Sitka, Alaska. The aircraft was operating under instrument flight rules (IFR) as a cross-country personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and the sole passenger were killed in the accident. The flight originated from Gustavus Airport at 2045, having previously departed Bellingham, Washington, at 1639 Pacific daylight time to refuel in Gustavus before continuing to Skagway, Alaska. ## Air Traffic Control Communications Air traffic control recordings indicated that at 2051, the pilot reported departing Gustavus, noting that the airport was locked and inaccessible. The pilot stated they were heading to Sitka with approximately one hour of fuel remaining. When offered an approach to Juneau Airport due to better weather, the pilot initially declined but later requested it after being informed of the weather conditions. The pilot reported being at 6,500 feet and “pretty well socked in” in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). ## Approach and Engine Failure As the flight neared Juneau, the pilot was cleared for a Localizer-Type Directional Aid (LDA) approach to Runway 08 but was unable to join the localizer. The pilot discontinued the approach and elected to continue to Sitka. At 2113, the pilot reported two people on board and about 1 hour and 10 minutes of fuel remaining. At 2138, the pilot reported trouble with the left engine. No further communications were received, and the aircraft was reported overdue at 2202. ## Search and Rescue Following reports of an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal, U.S. Coast Guard personnel began a search. At 2330, a Coast Guard helicopter located the wreckage in heavily wooded, old-growth timber. A rescue swimmer confirmed that the occupants were dead. The accident occurred during civil twilight, which ended at 2139. ## Aircraft and Personnel Details The aircraft had 3,617.0 flight hours in service and was equipped with two Teledyne Continental Motors IO-470-L21-B engines. The pilot held a private pilot certificate with multiengine land and instrument airplane ratings. However, the pilot’s third-class medical certificate had been denied by the FAA effective February 21, 2008, due to a history of coronary heart disease and atrial fibrillation. The pilot’s total aeronautical experience was 7,500 flight hours. ## Wreckage and Medical Findings The wreckage was found in dense timber with trees over 100 feet tall. The initial crash path was marked by broken treetops on a southerly heading. The left fuel tank was empty, and the right wing fuel bladder was torn open during impact. No preimpact engine or airframe anomalies were discovered. The pilot’s postmortem examination attributed death to multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicological tests were negative for alcohol but revealed unspecified levels of Amlodipine and Warfarin. The autopsy noted an enlarged heart and moderate focal atherosclerotic changes in the coronary arteries.