2010 Beechcraft BE-35-C33 Crash in Tolar, Texas (N5827S)

Accident Overview and Flight History On July 13, 2010, at approximately 2130 central daylight time, a single-engine Beechcraft BE-35-C33, registration N5827S, sustained substantial damage after colliding with terrain in Tolar, Texas. The commercial-rated pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot. The flight departed Clark Municipal Airport (SEP) in Stephenville, Texas, around 2120, with Arlington Municipal Airport (GKY) as the destination. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot purchased 29.8 gallons of fuel. The pilot and two passengers had departed Arlington around 1920, flew to Stephenville for dinner at a barbecue restaurant near the airport, and were returning home when the accident occurred. Radar data showed a target with a visual flight rules Mode C beacon code traveling northeast from Stephenville Airport between 2125 and 2128 at an average altitude of 3,400 feet. The last radar return was at 32°20′N, 097°55′W, at 3,400 feet. A Garmin GPSMAP 295 handheld unit recovered from the wreckage was downloaded by the Safety Board’s flight recorder laboratory. It contained flights from June 26 to July 13, 2010. The return flight from Stephenville began around 2120, proceeding northeast toward Arlington. Between 2125:53 and 2128:03, the aircraft maintained a heading of 066 degrees and an average altitude of 3,700 feet. At 2128:03, it entered a right turn to 073 degrees lasting about 11 seconds. At 2128:14, it turned left to 049 degrees before entering another right turn at 2128:21. The aircraft continued turning right and descending before the GPS stopped recording at 2128:53. The last return was at 32°20′N, 097°54′W, at 3,251 feet on a heading of 312 degrees. A witness in his front yard saw the aircraft flying low, about 600 feet above the ground, over trees on the backside of his property at 2130. It was very dark, but the aircraft lights were on. The witness observed the aircraft circling clockwise over a hay field adjacent to the treeline before widening the turn and suddenly “nose diving” straight into the ground. The wings were almost vertical to the ground right before impact, and the engine sounded as if the pilot was pumping the throttle. According to the United States Naval Observatory, only 5 percent of the Moon’s visible disk was illuminated, and civil twilight ended at 2108. ## Personnel and Meteorological Information The pilot held a commercial certificate for airplane single- and multi-engine land and instrument airplane, along with a certified flight instructor rating for the same categories. His last FAA second-class medical was issued on November 3, 2005. His personal logbooks were never located. He was employed as a full-time flight instructor, and his employer reported approximately 1,830 total flight hours. It could not be determined how much flight time he had in the accident aircraft or how recent his night flying experience was. Weather at Granbury Regional Airport (GDJ), about 7 miles northeast of the accident site, at 2144, was wind from 130 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 31 degrees Celsius, dewpoint 23 degrees Celsius, and barometric pressure 29.88 inches of Mercury. ## Wreckage and Impact Information An on-scene examination was conducted on July 14, 2010. The aircraft impacted terrain in a 100-acre hay field on a southerly heading at approximately 32°20′N, 97°54′W. The distance from the first impact mark to the furthest wreckage was about 200 feet. Tall coastal grass was fuel-stained from the initial impact point to the main wreckage. The first impact mark was a four-foot-long by one-foot-wide ground scar with pieces of a green navigational lens embedded in the dirt. Just forward was a 20-foot-long ground scar ending in a three-foot by seven-foot-wide impact crater. Scattered forward of the crater and along the wreckage path were the propeller, both wing tips, the main cabin door, sections of the right wing, and the top of the engine cowling. The main wreckage, consisting of the fuselage and left wing, was forward of this debris field. Forward of the main wreckage were all four seats, part of the throw-over yoke, and the engine. There was no evidence of a post-impact fire. All major flight control surfaces were accounted for at the accident site, with continuity established to the main cabin area. The flaps and landing gear were fully retracted. The elevator trim tab was positioned to a 10-degree nose-down trim position. The cockpit area was compromised by impact and partially folded over and twisted with the firewall. The fractured control column was locked into the left front seat position. The tachometer needle stopped at 2100 RPM. First responders reported the pilot in the left seat, a non-rated passenger in the front right seat, and a pilot-rated passenger in the right rear seat. The fuel selector was set to the right wing tank, and the sump screen was coated with fine dirt-like debris. The airframe electric boost pump functioned normally when power was applied, and light blue fuel was found in the chamber. The left wing remained attached but showed leading-edge impact damage near the fuel cap. The fuel bladder was breached, but some fuel seeped out when the tank’s fuel strainer was compressed. The left wing tip was damaged and separated. The right wing sustained heavy impact damage and fractured into several sections. The entire tail section remained attached with only minor damage. The engine was examined on July 15, 2010, under the supervision of the Investigator-in-Charge. It had separated from the airframe and came to rest inverted about 100 feet forward of the main wreckage. The left magneto separated and was not located. The right magneto remained attached. Damaged leads were removed, and spark was produced to each terminal when manually rotated. The top and bottom spark plugs were removed; all appeared light gray except the number 3 and number 5 top plugs, which were oil-soaked. The fuel control unit had separated and sustained some impact damage. The fuel screen exhibited a small amount of lint and was dry. The fuel metering unit was intact, and its top cap was removed with the screen absent of debris. The engine-driven fuel pump was removed and disassembled; internal gears and the coupling were intact. Fuel nozzles were removed; all were clear except the number 2 and number 5 nozzles. The oil sump was breached by impact damage, but some oil remained in the pan. There were no metal particles in the oil. The oil pump and internal gears were not damaged. The oil filter element was absent of debris. The crankshaft could not be rotated due to impact damage, so cylinders were removed. Examination of the crankshaft, camshaft, each cylinder, and all internal engine mechanics did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies. ## Medical and Pathological Information An autopsy was conducted on the pilot by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s District, Tarrant County, Texas, on July 14, 2010. The cause of death was determined to be “massive blunt trauma of head, chest, and abdomen due to a light aircraft crash.” Toxicological testing by the FAA Toxicology Accident Research Laboratory in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, found the pilot tested positive for: 0.0064 (ug/ml, ug/g) Tetrahydrocannabinol (Marihuana) in lung; 0.0016 (ug/ml, ug/g) Tetrahydrocannabinol Carboxylic Acid (Marihuana) in blood; Tetrahydrocannabinol Carboxylic Acid (Marihuana) in lung; and 0.0238 (ug/ml, ug/g) Tetrahydrocannabinol Carboxylic Acid (Marihuana) in urine. ## Additional Information According to FAA Publication AM-400-03/1, Medical Facts for Pilots, a Graveyard Spiral is associated with a return to level flight following an intentional or unintentional prolonged bank turn. For example, a pilot entering a left banking turn initially feels a turn in the same direction. If the left turn continues for about 20 seconds or more, the pilot may feel the aircraft is no longer turning left. If the pilot then attempts to level the wings, this action can produce a sensation that the aircraft is turning and banking in the opposite direction (to the right). If the pilot believes this compelling illusion of a right turn, they may reenter the original left turn to counteract it. While this happens, the aircraft continues turning left and losing altitude. Pulling the control yoke/stick and applying power while turning would only make the left turn tighter. If the pilot fails to recognize the illusion and does not level the wings, the aircraft will continue turning left and losing altitude until it impacts the ground.