History of Flight
On August 11, 2012, about 1124 central daylight time, a Beech Aircraft Company G18S multi-engine airplane, N697Q, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain in a residential neighborhood in Taylorville, Illinois. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries. Twelve parachutists on board the airplane exited and were not injured. No persons on the ground were injured. The airplane was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a sport parachuting flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from Taylorville Municipal Airport (TAZ) about 1100.
The airplane climbed to about 11,000 feet mean sea level. Parachutists were seated on two aft-facing straddle benches. At the planned drop location, they stood, opened the door, and moved aft. Five hung on the outside, others stood in the door or cabin forward. Several reported hearing the stall warning system, then the airplane rolled suddenly. All twelve quickly exited. Those last to exit reported the airplane was inverted or partially inverted. The pilot did not exit. Witnesses saw the airplane turning and descending inverted, briefly recover, then enter a nearly vertical dive.
The airplane impacted a tree and terrain in the back yard of an occupied residence. Emergency personnel reported a strong smell of gasoline and ordered nearby home evacuations. There was no postimpact fire.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 30, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. His logbooks showed 1,425.1 total flight hours, 33.7 in multi-engine airplanes, and 255.1 in single-engine conventional gear airplanes. He had no record of experience in multi-engine conventional gear airplanes before August 20, 2012. His most recent multi-engine flight instruction was on June 10, 2005. Between 2006 and August 20, 2012, he logged two multi-engine flights. His first flight in the accident airplane was a 0.5-hour familiarization and skydive checkout on July 20, 2012. The last logbook entry on July 22, 2012, showed 3.1 hours in the accident airplane on six skydiving flights. Estimated additional flying on August 10 and 11, 2012, totaled 3.5 hours, resulting in an estimated 7.1 hours total in the accident airplane. No logbook entries or endorsements indicated any flight instruction in the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The low-wing, retractable conventional landing gear, multi-engine airplane, serial number BA-468, was manufactured in 1959. It was powered by two 450-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-14B engines, each driving a Hamilton Standard 2-blade full-feathering propeller. The cockpit had a left pilot seat and right co-pilot/passenger seat, each with a 3-point shoulder harness. The passenger cabin had two aft-facing straddle benches for twelve parachutists. The main cabin door was modified to an upward-opening roll-up door. Original maintenance records were not recovered; the owner provided unsigned copies showing an annual inspection completed on August 5, 2012, at 13,833.0 hours aircraft total time, with both engines 46.9 hours since overhaul. The operator estimated about 10 hours or less of operation since the annual inspection.
Meteorological Information
At 1115, the automated weather observation station at TAZ reported wind from 330 degrees at 9 knots, clear skies, temperature 24°C, dew point 9°C, altimeter 30.03 inHg. Pilot reports and wind aloft reports showed no significant turbulence or shearing below FL290. Winds at 10,250 feet were from 347° true at 19 knots; at 9,309 feet, 348° true at 22 knots; at 12,221 feet, 348° true at 27 knots.
Communications and Radar
At 1104, N697Q contacted ATC at 2,200 feet. At 1120, a parachutist's video showed the altimeter at 10,400 feet, flaps and gear up, airspeed about 100 mph. The pilot wore a single shoulder harness. At 1121:45, the pilot reported one minute before jumper release. At 1121:50, ATC instructed to report jumpers away; the pilot acknowledged. No further transmissions. Radar showed the airplane climbed to 11,400 feet by 1123:19, then descended. At 1123:33, stall warning sound was captured on video as parachutists began jumping. The last radar return was at 1123:54 with missing altitude, then contact lost.
Wreckage and Impact
The wreckage was about 1.5 miles northeast of TAZ, in a backyard at about 620 feet msl. A large tree bore paint smears matching the airplane's color. A main impact crater about 10 feet in diameter was adjacent to the tree. Ground scar orientation and damage were consistent with a nearly vertical nose-down attitude with the top of the airplane oriented east. Both wings, flaps, ailerons, fins, rudders, elevator, and landing gear legs were observed at the scene; positions could not be determined due to fragmentation. Flight control continuity could not be determined. No useful cockpit instrument documentation was possible. An ELT was not identified. Both engines and propellers were recovered from the crater. On-scene examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy listed the pilot's cause of death as multiple injuries due to an airplane crash. Forensic toxicology tests were not performed due to unsuitable samples. The pilot's most recent second-class medical certificate, issued May 10, 2010, included a restriction to wear corrective lenses. Personal medical records revealed the pilot had suffered a traumatic brain injury in September 2005 from a bicycle-truck collision, which he failed to report on subsequent FAA medical applications. The head injuries included frontal bone fracture and bilateral temporal lobe contusions, requiring a medically induced coma, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, and resulting in attention, concentration, and executive functioning issues, as well as impulsive behavior. Three months after the injury, he had not been cleared to drive due to impaired judgment. No follow-up neuropsychological testing records were identified.
Additional Information
The Beech G18S flight manual specified stalling speed with power at zero thrust as 89 mph with gear and flaps up, maximum pitch angle during recovery 25 degrees, maximum altitude loss 600 feet, and stall warning triggered at least 6 mph above stall speed. The operator's cockpit checklist for skydiving jump run instructed to slowly decrease power to idle, maintain 110-120 mph, set flaps at 30 degrees, and maintain speed during exit. The operator's skydiver briefing card allowed no more than 4 jumpers in the door area during exit. FAA Advisory Circulars emphasized the pilot-in-command's responsibility for weight and balance, including CG shifts during jumper movement, and discussed stall and spin awareness, noting that aft CG can reduce elevator forces and increase stall/spin entry ease.