History of Flight
On May 3, 2012, at approximately 1515 central daylight time, a Beech S35, registration N176Q, was substantially damaged when it impacted a spent quarry east of Lake in the Hills Airport (3CK), Lake in the Hills, Illinois. The commercial certificated pilot and a certified flight instructor (CFI) were fatally injured. The airplane was operated by a private individual under 14 CFR Part 91 as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from 3CK.
Earlier that day, the pilot and CFI met at 3CK around 1130 and flew with a third pilot in the accident airplane to DuPage Airport (DPA) in West Chicago, Illinois, to pick up another airplane. They then followed the third pilot to Burlington Municipal Airport (BUU) in Burlington, Wisconsin, where the third pilot dropped off the other airplane. All three pilots returned to 3CK. The CFI occupied the left seat for all three flights.
After lunch, the pilot and CFI returned to the accident airplane intending to conduct a local flight. The third pilot noted that winds were reported as 220 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 22 knots.
Witnesses reported seeing the airplane low to the ground. One witness observed the airplane in the traffic pattern for runway 26, performing touch-and-go operations, and noted a very steep turn from base leg to final approach. Several witnesses stated the engine was running and sounded normal before impact.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 82, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument ratings. He applied for a third-class medical certificate on February 17, 2012, but it was not issued pending additional medical information. His previous special issuance third-class medical certificate was not valid after January 31, 2012. According to his logbook, he had logged at least 2,065 hours total time, and on his most recent medical application he reported 18,077 hours, with 30 hours in the previous six months. He completed a flight review on April 5, 2011, in the accident airplane.
The CFI, aged 62, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single- and multiengine, instrument, and glider ratings, and a flight instructor certificate with airplane single- and multiengine and instrument ratings. He was issued a first-class medical certificate without limitations on November 30, 2011. His logbook was not available; on his most recent medical application he reported 7,785 total flight hours.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane, a Beech S35 (serial number D-7427), was manufactured in 1964 and held a standard airworthiness certificate for utility operations. It was powered by a Teledyne Continental Motors IO-520-BB six-cylinder engine rated at 285 horsepower at 2,700 rpm, equipped with a three-blade McCauley propeller. The airplane was maintained under an annual inspection program; the last annual inspection was completed on June 1, 2011, at an airframe total time of 4,067 hours.
Meteorological Information
The closest official weather observation station was DuPage Airport (DPA), 18 nautical miles south of the accident site. A routine aviation weather report issued at 1452 reported wind from 200 degrees at 13 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 3,600 feet, temperature 28°C, dew point 18°C, altimeter 29.85 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located in a spent rock quarry with uneven, soft, and muddy terrain. The main wreckage included the left and right wings, fuselage, empennage, engine, and propeller assembly, resting on a magnetic heading of 075 degrees. A large ground scar was found about 5 feet forward of the main wreckage, consisting of three continuous sections. The first section was 1 foot wide and 17 feet long, containing paint chips consistent with the leading edge of the wing. This terminated at a circular scar 11 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 6 to 8 inches deep, containing broken Plexiglas and torn sheet metal, filled with water. The third section continued east from the center scar, 12 inches wide and 22 feet long, with red, white, and blue paint chips.
The fuselage was crushed and fragmented. Both forward seats dislodged from their tracks. The landing gear handle was down, the fuel selector was on the right tank, and the altimeter Kollsman window was set at 29.84. The right wing remained attached, with the flap and aileron attached; the flap appeared up. The right main landing gear was down and embedded in mud. The leading edge was crushed aft. The left wing remained attached; the outboard 5 feet partially separated, and the fuel tank was compromised. The left flap appeared up, and the left main landing gear was down.
The empennage remained attached, with ruddervators and elevator cables continuous except for one cable separation at a turnbuckle bracket. The propeller assembly remained attached, with all three blades bent aft, twisted, and with leading edge polishing; the spinner showed rotational crushing.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsies performed by the McHenry County Coroner’s Office on May 4, 2012, concluded that the pilot died from multiple blunt force trauma and the CFI from multiple blunt and sharp force traumas.
Toxicological tests for the pilot were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol. Carvedilol and enalapril (for high blood pressure), zolpidem (for insomnia), sertraline (antidepressant), and metabolites were detected. Tests for the CFI were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol; ranitidine (antihistamine) was detected in blood, and naproxen (analgesic) and ranitidine in urine.
Tests and Research
The wreckage was recovered to a hangar in Poplar Grove, Illinois. The engine was examined: valve covers, fuel nozzles, and spark plugs were removed; spark plugs showed normal operation, fuel nozzles were clear, the engine rotated freely with compression on all cylinders, and both magnetos produced spark. No anomalies were found in the fuel manifold.
Additional Information
FAA Advisory: The FAA’s “Airplane Flying Handbook” (2004) notes that steep banks in base-to-final turns increase stall speed and that discontinuing an approach to go around is preferable to overshooting. Accelerated stalls can occur at higher airspeeds due to maneuvering loads, and such stalls may be unexpected by inexperienced pilots.