History of Flight
On April 22, 2011, at about 1213 central daylight time, a Beech 58C, registration N580EA, collided with the ground while executing a missed approach at Phillip Billard Municipal Airport, Topeka, Kansas. The certificated private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged by impact and post-crash fire. The flight originated at Scott City Municipal Airport, Kansas, at approximately 1045, operating under instrument flight rules in instrument meteorological conditions.
After checking in with Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center, the pilot was cleared to descend and later given vectors to intercept the back course localizer approach for runway 31. The pilot acknowledged but subsequently flew through the radial. The controller provided a new heading, and the pilot eventually intercepted the course at POACH, the final approach fix, at 2,900 feet mean sea level (msl), above the published crossing altitude of 2,200 feet. The pilot then executed a missed approach and requested to circle to land, later asking for the GPS approach for runway 36. The tower instructed him to execute the published missed approach and climb to 4,000 feet. A tower controller observed the aircraft break out of clouds at about 1,000 feet past the approach end of runway 31, well left of the runway, and then re-enter clouds. Witnesses on the ground saw the aircraft at 200-300 feet above the runway with landing gear extended; near the runway end, the gear retracted and the aircraft climbed into clouds, with an overcast ceiling estimated at 500 feet above ground level and visibility 2.5 miles.
The pilot contacted center and was instructed to turn right to WUPLA for the GPS approach to runway 31, then cleared for the approach. The last transmission from the aircraft was at 1211:32. Radar data showed the aircraft over the airport at 1,500 feet msl, then turning east and southeast, leveling at 3,400 feet, then a left 180-degree turn west, followed by a descent to 3,300 feet and a turn southeast before radar contact was lost at 1211:48. Witnesses reported hearing the aircraft overhead and then an impact and fireball, but none saw the impact.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 35, held a private pilot certificate with single-engine and multi-engine land and instrument ratings. According to his logbook, he had 438 total flight hours, including 28.7 hours in multi-engine aircraft and 17.5 hours in the Beech 58. He had flown 30.1 hours in the preceding 90 days, 20.1 hours in 60 days, and 8.7 hours in 30 days. His instrument time included 50 hours simulated and 11 hours actual, but only 0.7 hours since his initial instrument proficiency check on November 10, 2010. He passed a multi-engine flight check on February 18, 2011, and held a third-class medical certificate dated February 2010.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a 1973 Beech Model 58C, serial number TH-316, powered by two Teledyne Continental Motors IO-520-CB engines rated at 285 horsepower each. The airplane had undergone a 100-hour inspection on October 1, 2010, with a Hobbs meter reading of 4,624.1 hours. The final logbook entry on April 11, 2011, recorded a tachometer time of 4,743.3 hours after installation of a bracket air filter.
Meteorological Information
At 1153, the weather at TOP was wind 010 degrees magnetic at 9 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, ceiling 500 feet overcast, temperature 55°F, dew point 53°F, altimeter 29.64 inches Hg, with variable ceiling 400 to 800 feet. At 1253, wind was 340 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 6 miles with light rain, ceiling 700 feet overcast, temperature 55°F, dew point 53°F, altimeter 29.65 inches Hg, with rain from 1203 to 1239 and variable ceiling 400 to 900 feet.
Wreckage and Impact
The aircraft impacted a down-sloping fallowed cornfield about four miles northeast of TOP at coordinates 39°07.39'N, 095°25.281'W, elevation 1,012 feet msl. The accident site extended 372 feet along a 030-degree magnetic heading. The debris field was approximately 100 feet wide. An impact crater 21 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 5 feet deep contained both engines, both propellers, and one main and the nose landing gear. The right propeller had separated from its engine; all three blades showed chordwise scratches, leading edge gouges, and torsional bending. The left engine was broken from its nacelle; the left propeller had two blades with torsional bending and one blade broken at the hub. Crush damage indicated impact at a 25-degree nose-low, 40-45 degree left-wing-low attitude. The empennage and aft fuselage were located 81 feet from the crater, bent and broken. Flight control continuity to rudder and elevators was confirmed. Beyond the fuselage, debris included fragmented cabin, wings, and forward fuselage, many charred or melted. A large right wing section was found about 30 feet past the empennage.
Medical and Pathological Findings
An autopsy of the pilot was performed on April 23, 2011. Toxicology tests were negative for all substances tested.
Tests and Research
Examination of both engines revealed no pre-impact abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation. Other aircraft systems showed no pre-impact anomalies. A Garmin 696 GPS unit was recovered, but its non-volatile memory chip had been ejected, so no data could be retrieved. Review of air traffic control communications noted that the controller used the phrase “129 radial” (referring to the TOP VOR) when instructing the pilot to intercept the localizer back course, which was parallel but 5.5 nautical miles northeast of the intended course. This phraseology was not standard for a localizer approach, though the overall intercept angle met standards. The pilot initially flew across the localizer course and later corrected, but was high at the final approach fix, which likely contributed to the missed approach.