Introduction
On April 15, 2011, about 0830 central daylight time, a Hawker-Beechcraft E-55 airplane, registration N3959W, impacted terrain shortly after departing from J Lynn Helms Sevier County Airport (DEQ) in De Queen, Arkansas. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was operated under Part 91 as a personal flight without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
Flight History
The flight originated the previous day from the pilot's home airport near Lafayette, Louisiana, with a destination of Tulsa, Oklahoma. En route, the pilot spent the night at DEQ to allow thunderstorms to move east of his route. The accident occurred as the pilot continued his flight after the storms and rain had passed. The airplane departed runway 26. A witness reported that when the airplane was an estimated 300 to 500 feet in the air, the engines sounded like they were cutting out. The witness stated the airplane appeared to attempt a 180-degree turn back to the runway, but at a high pitch angle, it looked like it stalled and spun into the ground. Another witness observed the airplane climbing at a high pitch angle and reported that it “sounded like the engines weren’t getting enough gas.”
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument. His most recent third-class FAA medical was issued on March 26, 2010. A logbook found indicated the pilot had approximately 322 total flight hours with about 162 in multiengine airplanes as of June 6, 2008; a more current logbook was not located. The aircraft was a 1973 model Beech E55 Baron, serial number TE-959, a low-wing, semi-monocoque airplane with retractable landing gear, configured for up to six occupants. It was powered by two Continental IO-520-C engines, each rated at 285 horsepower, driving three-bladed Hartzell propellers. The airframe's most recent annual inspection was completed on May 6, 2010, at 1,946.3 hours; at the time of the accident, it had accumulated 1,999.8 hours. Both engines had undergone a 100-hour inspection on the same date. There was no record of the airplane receiving fuel at DEQ.
Wreckage and Engines
The wreckage came to rest in an open area east of the approach end of runway 08. The airplane was resting on its belly with extensive damage to the front cabin area. All major components were accounted for; there was no post-impact fire. Both engine fuel selectors were found in the “ON” position, and the landing gear handle was in the up (retracted) position. The flaps were retracted. The left and right fuel tanks were breached and absent of fuel, but hydraulic deformation of the wing top skin panels indicated fuel was present at impact. Examination of both engines revealed no abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation. The left and right propellers had separated from the crankshafts, with blade damage consistent with engine rotation at impact.
Conclusion
The examination found no mechanical anomalies with the engines or airframe that would explain the loss of control. The pilot's toxicology tests were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, and tested drugs.