History of Flight
On May 30, 2011, a Beech V35B, registration N29MW, collided with terrain on Rich Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest near Ellijay, Georgia. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the pilot and three passengers received fatal injuries. The flight departed from Gilmer County Airport (49A) about 1033. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
A representative from the fixed-base operator reported that the pilot arrived at 49A on May 27 to attend a social event. On May 29, he conducted a sightseeing flight over mountainous terrain and the Carter and Blue Ridge Lakes area, returning within an hour. After that flight, the airplane was fueled with 32 gallons of aviation fuel and placed in a hangar. On May 30, the airplane was pulled out for another sightseeing flight with different passengers. It departed from runway 21 and was last seen flying eastward. When the flight did not return, friends and family notified authorities, initiating a search and rescue operation. The wreckage was located on June 1, 2011.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 68, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine and multi-engine land and instrument airplane. He was issued a third-class medical certificate on March 16, 2011, with a limitation requiring corrective lenses. He documented 2,800 total flight hours. The pilot's flight logbook was not recovered.
Aircraft Information
The Beech V35B, serial number D-10086, was built in 1977 and issued a standard airworthiness certificate on November 23, 1977, registered in the utility category. It was equipped with a Teledyne Continental Motors IO-520-BA engine (285 horsepower) and a three-bladed McCauley constant-speed propeller. The airplane had retractable tricycle landing gear and a V-tail design for rudder and elevator control surfaces. The airplane was maintained per the manufacturer's recommended program. Maintenance records showed an annual inspection on January 10, 2011, at 3,044 hours total time, with a new engine (0 hours) and a propeller with 895 hours since overhaul. Additional engine maintenance was performed on April 28, 2011.
Meteorological Information
The nearest official weather observation was from Gilmer County Airport, 8 miles southwest of the accident site. At 1025, the automated system reported wind from 020 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 29°C, dew point 13°C, altimeter 30.29 inches of mercury, and density altitude 3,100 feet.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site terrain encompassed an estimated 270-degree radius, about 1.5 miles wide by 1 mile long. The highest terrain was northeast at about 4,000 feet mean sea level (msl), and the lowest was south-southwest at about 2,000 feet msl. The wreckage was located on the northeast section at an elevation of about 2,990 feet msl, approximately 8 miles from 49A. The area had numerous trees averaging 70 feet tall with heavy foliage.
Initial tree contact occurred with the right wing low on a 090-degree heading, about 50 feet above ground level (agl). The right wing fuel tip tank was found beneath that tree. A second tree impact occurred about 80 feet from the initial point, at about 30 feet agl, with scrape marks running down the trees, indicating low forward energy. The airplane came to rest on a 090-degree heading on a 25-degree slope. The left wing fuel tip tank was several feet forward of the main wreckage with thermal damage. The cabin door, with impact and thermal damage, was located several feet to the right of the main wreckage.
The left aileron, with impact and thermal damage, was forward of the main wreckage. The wings, cockpit, and cabin (except 3 feet of the empennage) were consumed by thermal damage. Landing gear location and damage were consistent with a retracted position. The remaining empennage was crushed and twisted toward the right (down slope). The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) remnant was in the thermally damaged fuselage. The left stabilizer was separated and folded over the right stabilizer, which was on the ground. All flight control surfaces or remnants were present, and continuity was established up to the control column, which was consumed by thermal damage. Most fire was concentrated within the wreckage, with about a 100-foot diameter of surrounding ground foliage consumed by fire. Tree-top foliage along the energy path and in front of the wreckage showed fuel burns.
The firewall and engine, with cowling attached, were intact with impact and thermal damage and came to rest on their right side. Engine control continuity was established from the engine to the thermally damaged control levers. The three-bladed propeller remained attached to the crankshaft, all blades loose and rotating freely. One blade was bowed forward; the second was twisted and bent aft; the third was bent aft from the hub base. The spinner was intact with minimal damage.
A post-recovery examination, with NTSB oversight, revealed remnants of the engine fuel mixture, propeller, and throttle control cables consistent with full forward position. Cowl flap control cable remnants were consistent with open. Fuel tank selector position could not be determined due to thermal damage. Fuel caps were engaged in the adapter ring. The debris-free pitot tube was separated with thermal damage. Left and right flap actuator extension could not be measured; molten aluminum captured the flap roller in a position consistent with flaps retracted. The elevator trim actuator measured about 0.6 inches, corresponding to about 13 degrees tab down (surface up).
The engine exhibited impact and thermal damage, concentrated on the aft portion and left side cylinders. Upper ignition leads and fuel/oil hoses on the back side were thermally damaged. The engine remained attached to the mounting tunnel assembly. The front left engine mount fractured; the other three were intact. Accessories remained attached. The fuel pump rotated freely by hand; the drive coupling was intact. The fuel pump inlet fitting separated flush with the vapor separator housing. The throttle body and metering assembly had impact damage with a bent metering shaft. Top spark plugs were removed, and the engine was rotated by hand using the propeller flange. Thumb compressions and valve train continuity were established on all six cylinders. Accessory gear continuity was established during rotation. The engine rotated freely with no binding or stiffness. The oil filler cap/dipstick showed a small amount of residual oil.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation conducted postmortem examinations. The cause of death for the pilot and three passengers was blunt force trauma and thermal injuries. The FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) performed toxicology tests on pilot specimens, which were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol. Tests were positive for Bupropion and Quetiapine.
Tests and Research
With NTSB oversight, the engine was run at the manufacturer's facility and showed no abnormalities preventing normal operation and production of rated power. A propeller teardown examination, with FAA oversight, indicated all damage was consistent with impact forces. Internal impact marks were consistent with blades in low pitch at impact. Blade bending, twisting, and overall damage were associated with power applied at impact.
FAA research revealed that on May 7, 2010, the airplane's altimeter had a discrepancy preventing correct operation; maintenance records did not reflect any corrective action. The drugs detected in the pilot's toxicology testing are used for psychiatric conditions and are disqualifying for an FAA medical certificate; they were not reported on the pilot's most recent medical application. The condition(s) and medications can degrade mental performance and may result in impaired judgment.