History of Flight
On May 31, 2012, at 1656 central daylight time, a Hawker Beechcraft A36, registration N976S, operated by a private individual, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight breakup and subsequent collision with terrain near Macon, Mississippi. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, suffered fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight, with an instrument flight rules flight plan filed for the intended destination of University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport (OUN), Norman, Oklahoma. The flight had originated from Saint Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), Clearwater, Florida, at 1415.
According to air traffic control communications provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot was in contact with Memphis Center at 1625, cruising at 20,000 feet. The controller advised of extreme precipitation at the airplane's 12 o'clock position, 85 miles away, extending north and south. The pilot acknowledged and stated he was looking for a way through. At 1626, the controller reported a break in the extreme precipitation, with moderate to heavy precipitation on a heading of 330 degrees at 115 miles. The pilot indicated he saw it and considered it the best spot to penetrate the line of precipitation, receiving clearance to deviate. At 1633, the controller asked if the pilot had onboard weather radar; the pilot replied he had "Nexrad Composite." At 1636, the pilot requested a lower altitude to stay below the freezing level, descending to 12,000 feet. At 1653, the pilot advised that a cell had filled the intended gap, but a gap about 10 miles north remained; he planned to fly north 10 more miles before crossing. The controller acknowledged. No further transmissions were received. At 1656:27, speed data disappeared from the radar target, followed by altitude information.
Pilot Information
The pilot, aged 53, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on February 23, 2011, at which time he reported 258 total flight hours. He obtained his instrument rating on August 20, 2010. According to his logbook, he had accrued approximately 342 total flight hours, with about 32 hours in actual instrument meteorological conditions. In the 90 and 30 days before the accident, he flew 23.8 and 9.8 hours respectively, including 7.6 and 3.4 hours in actual instrument conditions.
Aircraft Information
The six-seat, low-wing, retractable tricycle-gear airplane, serial number E-3370, was manufactured in 2001. It was powered by a Continental IO-550, 300-horsepower engine driving a three-blade constant-speed McCauley propeller. The most recent annual inspection was completed on June 14, 2011, at 1,337.0 total aircraft hours; the engine had 358.0 hours since major overhaul. The airplane had flown about 200 hours since that inspection. Equipment included XM WX Satellite Weather and an L3 (Goodrich) WX 500 Stormscope/Strikefinder.
Meteorological Information
No record existed of the pilot receiving a weather briefing or filing a flight plan through flight service or direct user access terminals; however, his business partner reported that the pilot commonly used ForeFlight, an iPad application, for these purposes. An NTSB Meteorologist compiled weather data. The National Weather Service Surface Analysis Chart for 1600, about one hour before the accident, placed the accident site east of a squall line. Ground-based weather radar (WSR-88D) from Birmingham, Alabama and Jackson, Mississippi depicted heavy precipitation from thunderstorms along the squall line. At 1656, radar showed the airplane had penetrated an area with reflectivity values of 50 dBZ or greater (Level 5). The XM WX Satellite Weather (Nexrad Composite) product time-stamped 1650 showed the airplane clear of precipitation; this product would have been about 6-7 minutes old at the accident time. The next product, broadcast at 1656:05 and time-stamped 1655, may have uploaded to the cockpit within seconds of the breakup; it also showed the airplane clear of precipitation and would have been presented as 1-2 minutes old. The Stormscope/Strikefinder displayed real-time lightning information but with less detail. The recorded weather at George M Bryan Airport (STF), Starkville, Mississippi, about 24 miles north of the accident site, at 1655 included wind from 240 degrees at 7 knots gusting to 22 knots, visibility 4 miles in thunderstorms and heavy rain, scattered clouds at 1,100 feet, broken ceilings at 2,600 and 4,000 feet, temperature 20°C, dew point 18°C, and altimeter 29.79 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage impacted a rural area of fields and wooded terrain near Macon, Mississippi, with a debris path extending approximately 1.25 miles on a magnetic course of about 300 degrees. Initial debris included pieces of window seal and cabin roof with a GPS receiver antenna. The left wing, cabin door, vertical stabilizer, and right wing were found in a field along the first third of the path. The top rudder section, both ailerons, fuselage, right wingtip fuel tank, and middle seats were located along the second third in wooded area. The pilot's seat was in the final third, with the debris path ending at the engine and forward cockpit section, also wooded. The left wing had separated at the root with the main landing gear retracted; the outboard section separated about 10 feet from the root. The left flap was intact and retracted; the left aileron separated and was recovered about 0.4 mile northwest of the left wing, ballooned from 14 to 54 inches from the tip. The left wing top main spar bolt was bent upward, consistent with positive wing separation. The fuel cap was secured; fuel remained in the left tank. The aileron trim actuator rod extension measured 2.5 inches, equating to an off-scale tab down position. Lower wing skin exhibited a crosshatch buckling pattern. The right wing front spar remained attached via upper and lower bolts; the right main landing gear and flap were intact and retracted. An approximate 1-foot section of right aileron remained attached; no other sections were recovered. The right wingtip had compression damage and the fuel tank separated; the cap was secured with no fuel but blue staining and vegetation discoloration were noted. The pilot's left seat track was intact; the right seat track separated at the third adjustment hole from the front. The rudder separated from the vertical stabilizer, which had leading edge compression damage consistent with wing contact. The forward spar was buckled on the right side and bent aft; the aft spar completely separated. The main fuselage was crushed on the left side. The left horizontal stabilizer was bent aft and rotated 90 degrees; the left elevator separated and was not recovered. The right horizontal stabilizer was bent up and aft, with leading edge impact marks 38 inches from the root. The right elevator inboard section remained attached; the outboard section separated 41 inches from the root. The right elevator trim actuator jackscrew measured 1.5 inches of extension, equating to approximately 10 degrees tab down. The rudder bellcrank, torque tube, and 22 inches of rudder remained attached by cables. The engine and propeller remained attached; both were buried in mud. The instrument panel inverted with both control yokes separated. Postcrash fire damage was noted; the bottom section of the panel was consumed by fire, the top section not. The satellite weather and stormscope information were displayed on a Honeywell KMD-550 multi-function display; a JPI 700 engine monitor was also installed. Both units were sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory for data retrieval. The KMD-550 had no non-volatile memory; radar data available to XM subscribers was provided by the disseminating company. Data from the JPI monitor was successfully downloaded; exhaust gas temperatures indicated cruise power until the end of the data.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy was performed on the pilot on June 1, 2012, by the State of Mississippi Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Toxicological testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Science Research Laboratory detected 0.097 µg/ml of diphenhydramine in blood and the substance in urine.