History of Flight
On June 24, 2011, at approximately 1935 Eastern Daylight Time, a Beech A36 single-engine airplane, registration N88MN, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain and a residential garage while maneuvering near Charlevoix, Michigan. The private pilot, one passenger, and one dog sustained fatal injuries; one passenger sustained serious injuries; and one dog was not injured. The airplane was registered to Microjet, LLC, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and operated by the pilot. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight departed Smith Field Airport (SMD), Fort Wayne, Indiana, at approximately 1730.
According to FAA Minneapolis ARTCC communications and radar data, the pilot filed an IFR flight plan from SMD to Boyne City Municipal Airport (N98), Michigan. At 1848, the pilot stated he wanted to divert to Boyne Mountain Airport (BFA) due to weather near N98, which lacked an instrument approach. The pilot requested the BFA RNAV (GPS) approach to runway 35 and was cleared to ELBOT, the initial approach fix. At 1917, the pilot reported executing the missed approach at BFA and requested the Charlevoix Municipal Airport (CVX) RNAV (GPS) approach to runway 27. He was cleared to COKOS, the initial approach fix. At 1920, the pilot was cleared for the approach to CVX. At 1926, he was given approval to change to the CVX advisory frequency.
Witnesses at the CVX terminal building heard the pilot call on the CTAF that he was executing the GPS runway 27 instrument approach. They reported the cloud ceiling was 200 feet agl and visibility was 1 mile. They observed the airplane break out of the clouds about halfway down runway 27, heard the engine increase power, and saw it enter a left turn, then a right turn around a water tower southwest of CVX. The airplane stayed about 200 feet agl during the turn, then entered a right downwind leg. Witnesses saw it begin a right turn toward runway 27, pitch nose up, and roll left in a nose-high attitude, then disappear behind a tree line and airport buildings.
Another witness at a baseball field about 1/4 mile west of the accident site observed the airplane appear from clouds at about 200 feet agl heading west, between the runway and the field. A few minutes later, the witness saw the airplane overflying the baseball field at low altitude and airspeed, traveling east, then making a right turn toward the airport. The nose pitched up, the tail dropped and fluttered, then the airplane banked left, appeared out of control, and dropped. The witness lost sight behind trees and observed a fuel spray after impact.
The airplane impacted the yard of a residence adjacent to the north perimeter of CVX and came to rest upright, partially within a three-stall garage attached to the residence. Rescue and law enforcement arrived shortly after. One dog was found deceased at the accident site; another dog was found the next day walking in the neighborhood.
Personnel Information
The private pilot held single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. He reported 1,300 total flight hours on his FAA third-class medical certificate dated May 25, 2010. The pilot's logbook (number 3), recovered from the accident airplane, did not contain a total hour amount from the previous logbook. The first entry was dated February 28, 2004, for a flight in the accident airplane; the last entry was June 19, 2011, also in the accident airplane. The logbook recorded two flights to CVX with the note "GPS"; the most recent was on May 29, 2009. The pilot's most recent instrument proficiency check was completed on June 25, 2010; he logged 19 instrument approaches since that check. The pilot and the seriously injured passenger were involved in an airplane accident on September 1, 2003 (NTSB Report CHI03FA291), with the pilot as pilot-in-command.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a Beech A36, serial number E-741, powered by an AV Power IO-550-B-AP turbocharged engine (STC SE02881AT), serial number 274546-R, and a three-bladed Hartzell constant-speed propeller. Originally equipped with a 285-horsepower normally aspirated Continental Motors IO-520 series engine, it was modified per STC and further modified with a Western Skyways turbo normalizer system (STC SE8677SW). The airplane received a standard airworthiness certificate on August 20, 1975, and was registered to Microjet, LLC, on May 15, 2003. It was configured with four seats. Avionics included a Garmin GNS 530W GPS, a Garmin GNC 300XL TSO GPS, and a Garmin GDL 69 XM Data Link System. Maintenance records showed an annual inspection performed on December 12, 2010, at 5,514 total airframe hours. The digital tachometer reading was not available due to damage.
Meteorological Information
At 1914, the CVX automated weather observing system (AWOS) reported wind from 260 degrees at 9 knots, visibility 1 3/4 miles, mist, sky broken at 400 feet, overcast at 700 feet, temperature 11°C, dew point 10°C, altimeter 29.71 inHg. At 1935, the AWOS reported wind from 260 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 15 knots, visibility 2 miles, rain, overcast at 200 feet, temperature 11°C, dew point 11°C, altimeter 29.72 inHg. At 1954, wind from 250 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 14 knots, visibility 2 miles, drizzle, overcast at 200 feet, temperature 11°C, dew point 10°C, altimeter 29.72 inHg. No AIRMETs or SIGMETs were active for the accident location at the time.
Airport Information
Charlevoix Municipal Airport (CVX) is a public, uncontrolled airport 1 mile southwest of Charlevoix, Michigan. It has one asphalt runway (9/27, 4,550 ft × 75 ft) and one turf runway (4/22, 1,280 ft × 200 ft). Runway 27 is equipped with medium-intensity runway edge lights, runway end identifier lights, and a 4-light, 3-degree glide path PAPI. Non-precision approaches include RNAV (GPS) and NDB. The RNAV approach to runway 27 has an inbound course of 270 degrees, an MDA of 1,100 ft msl, and weather minimums of 500 ft and 1 mile visibility. The missed approach procedure is a climbing left turn to 3,000 ft direct to COKOS and hold.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The initial ground scar, about 75 feet from the main wreckage, contained the left wing tip fuel tank fairing and pitot tube. The main wreckage distribution followed a magnetic heading of 090 degrees. The main wreckage included the fuselage, engine, empennage, and both wings. The propeller hub was separated from the engine crankshaft. The left wing was partially separated, with the leading edge crushed aft and the outboard 5 ft crushed upward and aft. The fuel tank fairing was separated. The aileron came to rest on top of the left wing; the flap actuator was in the retracted position. The left main landing gear wheel was separated, strut extended. The right wing was partially separated and came to rest within the garage structure; the leading edge was bent aft; aileron and flap separated; flap actuator retracted; right main landing gear separated and extended. Rescue personnel reported fuel draining from the tanks. The forward fuselage was crushed and deformed; the left garage support post was separated; the right post was within the cockpit area. The instrument panel was crushed and displaced right; the throw-over control yoke was in the left seat position; throttle, mixture, and propeller controls were full forward. Cockpit seats were crushed and displaced right; restraints were cut by rescue personnel. Rear seats were intact with lap belts stowed. An Apple iPad1 was found between the left front seat and left fuselage wall. No paper instrument approach plates were found. The empennage remained attached; the right stabilizer was bent upward at midspan; elevator trim neutral. Flight control continuity was established. The engine remained partially attached to the firewall, which was separated. The propeller hub was separated; engine crankshaft rotated by hand, with mechanical continuity except for the number 6 exhaust valve and rocker arm; the number 6 exhaust valve push rod was damaged consistent with impact. Magneto sparks were noted. The three propeller blades showed leading edge damage and chordwise scratching; two blade tips were missing; remaining portions twisted and bent aft.
Tests and Research
The NTSB Vehicle Recorder Division examined non-volatile memory devices from the airplane: an Apple iPad1, a Garmin TAWS/Terrain Data Card, a Jeppesen IFR Data Card, and a Jeppesen IFRW Data Card. The iPad had significant impact damage but the internal processor PCB appeared undamaged and was transferred to a surrogate iPad for data recovery. The iPad had a functional copy of the ForeFlight App, which contained a reference to an approach plate for the RNAV (GPS) Runway 27 procedure at CVX, designated EC-1, dated 02 JUN 2011 to 30 JUN 2011. The iPad recorded its last WiFi connection on June 24. Cache information showed that com.apple.AppStore was launched 6 times on the accident day. The last CFURL_CACHE_RESPONSE was on June 24, 2011, at 20:46:34 to a weather.com URL. No other aviation-related data was recovered. Examination of the data cards revealed little damage; the Garmin TAWS/Terrain Card contained copyright dates 1995-2005, 2007, 2006; the Jeppesen IFR Card contained copyright 2009-2010; the Jeppesen IFRW Card contained copyright 2011.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on the pilot, performed by Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids, Michigan, listed blunt force injuries to the head and chest as the cause of death. Forensic toxicology by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) was negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and drugs.