Accident Overview
On July 16, 2012, at approximately 7:05 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, a Beechcraft A23 Musketeer, registration N8771M, was substantially damaged after colliding with terrain near Laytonsville, Maryland. The aircraft was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a Washington, DC, special visual flight rules flight plan had been filed.
Flight History
The flight originated from Davis Airport (W50) in Laytonsville about 6:45 p.m. The purpose was to prepare for a flight review with the flight instructor. The pilot performed a preflight inspection and fueled the airplane without noting any anomalies. Two takeoffs and landings were completed prior to the accident. After each landing, the after-landing checklist was performed, and before each subsequent takeoff, the before-takeoff checklist was completed. The pilot verified that the flaps were retracted and the left fuel tank was selected.
On the final takeoff, the pilot applied power and released the brakes. The airplane rolled down the runway, lifted off, then settled back onto the runway. The pilot reported that the airplane “did not have nearly as much lift” as previous takeoffs. As the airplane climbed, the pilot initiated a right turn to avoid trees at the runway’s end. The flight instructor then took control as the turn became steeper, and the airplane entered a spin before impacting the ground.
Witnesses reported hearing the engine at full power. One witness stated the airplane had difficulty climbing out of ground effect and reached about 150–200 feet above ground level before banking right and stalling. Another witness heard the engine backfire and lose power before impact. An airport employee who had topped off the fuel tanks observed several successful takeoffs and landings prior to the accident.
Aircraft and Personnel Information
The 1964 Beech A23 was a low-wing, fixed tricycle-gear airplane powered by a Continental Motors IO-346-A engine rated at 165 horsepower. Its most recent annual inspection was in September 2011, with 1,989.66 total flight hours at that time. The airport had an asphalt runway 2,005 feet long and 25 feet wide, oriented 08/26, with trees at both ends requiring a four-degree glide angle to clear.
The private pilot, age 83, held certificates for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent third-class medical certificate, issued in 2010, required corrective lenses and hearing amplification. He reported 2,300 total hours; his logbook showed 2,319.2 hours, with 1.9 hours in the accident airplane in the prior 90 days. His most recent flight review was in July 2010.
The flight instructor, age 79, held commercial and flight instructor certificates for single-engine land and sea, multiengine land, glider, and instrument airplane. He reported 18,000 total flight hours on his most recent medical application. His third-class medical certificate was issued June 12, 2012. He did not disclose any medication use or diabetes on his application.
Wreckage and Impact
The main wreckage came to rest approximately 425 feet beyond and to the right of the departure end of runway 26, at coordinates 39°14.545′N, 077°09.274′W. The first ground contact was about 45 feet east of the wreckage. A notepad indicated a start tach time of 1,993.08 hours; the recovered tachometer showed 1,993.37 hours.
No pre-impact airframe anomalies were noted. Flight control continuity was established for all surfaces. The left wing fuel tank was breached and empty; the right tank was nearly full. The fuel selector valve was found in a mid-range position between left and right tanks. When placed in that position during testing, fuel would not flow. The flap selector was in the zero-degree (retracted) position, and witness marks on the fuselage aligned with the zero-degree flap indication.
The engine was displaced down and to the right. Engine controls were in full forward positions. The propeller displayed leading-edge nicks and chordwise scratching. No fuel was found in the main fuel line when disconnected. The fuel manifold leaked from its vent hole during testing. The No. 2 fuel injector was partially blocked; others were clear.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on the flight instructor indicated the cause of death as “multiple injuries.” Toxicological testing was negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol but positive for acetaminophen, rosuvastatin, desmethylsertraline, diphenhydramine, glipizide, sertraline, and pioglitazone. Postmortem glucose levels were elevated: 34 mg/dL in vitreous, 1,150 mg/dL in urine, and 8.7% hemoglobin A1C in blood. The instructor had not reported any medications or diabetes on his medical application. The pilot stated he observed no signs of duress or health issues in the instructor before the accident.