What happened
On November 8, 2009, a Beech A36, registration N91TD, crashed approximately one mile northwest of Kestrel Airpark in Spring Branch, Texas. The flight originated from Kerrville Municipal Airport/Louis Schreifer Field and was en route to Pearland Regional Airport under instrument flight rules.
At approximately 11:18 CST, the aircraft was level at 5,000 feet mean sea level (msl) and received clearance to climb to 9,000 feet. By 11:27, the aircraft was level at 9,000 feet. Radar data indicated the airplane followed a meandering eastbound course before entering an area of heavy intensity rain echoes. At 11:27, the aircraft began a shallow left turn, followed by a right turn at 11:28. The final radar contact at 11:29:46 showed the aircraft in a descending right turn at 6,400 feet msl. Radio and radar contact were lost at 11:29.
Witnesses near the site reported hearing a noise similar to an airplane in a dive, followed by seeing large debris falling from the clouds. One witness reported hearing high engine RPMs and a loud crashing noise.
All 3 occupants were killed in the accident. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage at a facility in Lancaster, Texas. The aircraft's engine and propeller assembly were inspected, as were the flight control surfaces, including the wings, stabilizers, and landing gear. The examination of the engine and its components, including the crankshaft and connecting rods, revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have prevented normal operations. The landing gear was found in the retracted position, and the control cables showed signatures consistent with tension overload due to impact.
Review of the pilot's logbook indicated that while the pilot had 885 hours of total experience, his last instrument flight experience occurred nearly two years prior to the accident. Additionally, the pilot had only approximately four hours of flight time in the N91TD since its recent purchase.
A postmortem toxicological examination of the pilot's tissue detected diphenhydramine, a common over-the-counter sedating antihistamine. However, because no blood was available for analysis, investigators could not determine if the medication caused impairment at the time of the crash.