History of Flight
On May 28, 2013, at about 1143 mountain standard time, a Beechcraft A36, registration N999PK, was destroyed when it struck trees and terrain in the Coconino National Forest adjacent to Mountainaire, Arizona. The accident occurred shortly after takeoff from Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG). A large post-impact fire ensued. The private pilot and one passenger received fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The airplane was based at McClellan Airfield (MCC) in Sacramento, California. The pilot and his wife (the passenger) departed MCC on May 25 and arrived at FLG that same day. They rented a car and returned it on the morning of the accident. Before departure, the pilot requested 20 gallons of fuel be added to each main tank and consulted the FBO owner about a route to Bryce Canyon Airport (BCE) in Utah. After startup and taxi, the pilot requested a turnout to the northeast and took off from runway 21.
A pilot in a Cessna 172, which departed shortly after the Beechcraft, observed the Beechcraft climbing very slowly. After clearing the runway, the Beechcraft followed a meandering course initially south then south-southeast. The Cessna pilot witnessed the Beechcraft impact trees adjacent to a semi-rural neighborhood about 3 miles from FLG. Witnesses on the ground reported the engine made "popping" noises with no trailing dark smoke. Several first responders used portable fire extinguishers, shovels, and hoses to suppress the fire.
Personnel Information
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records indicated the 59-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating, issued in May 2010. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued in September 2012, at which time he reported 540 total flight hours. The pilot's fire-damaged flight logbook indicated about 611 total flight hours at the time of the accident. He began flight training in 2008 and completed a flight review in February 2013 in a Cessna 182 he also owned. The logbook damage precluded determination of flight time in each airplane.
The pilot had flown with two certified flight instructors (CFIs). The first flew about 33 hours with the pilot in the Beechcraft, initially for insurance requirements and proficiency. The second CFI flew about 3 hours with the pilot starting in May 2012 for instrument rating training. Both CFIs reported no concerns with the pilot's skills. The pilot's nephew stated the pilot was familiar with high-elevation airports, flying regularly into Truckee, California (elevation 5,901 feet).
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 2001 as Beechcraft serial number E-3380, equipped with a Continental Motors IO-550 series engine. It was purchased and registered to the pilot in late 2011. Modifications included factory-installed cabin air conditioning, J.L. Osborne wing tip tanks (20 gallons each side), Precise Flight electric speedbrakes, JPI EDM-700 engine monitor, AMSAFE inflatable shoulder harnesses, Garmin 430 and 530 navigation units, and a TKS de-icing system. The most recent annual inspection was completed on June 1, 2012, at about 893 total hours. A top engine overhaul was completed in April 2004 at about 243 hours. A CFI reported the airplane was well-maintained with no climb performance issues.
Meteorological and Airport Information
On the day of the accident, the 1157 automated weather observation at FLG included wind from 210 degrees at 17 knots gusting to 26 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 18°C, dew point -4°C, and altimeter setting 29.95 inches of mercury. The terrain between the airport and the accident site was forested, gently undulating, and generally lower than the airport elevation.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was in a semi-rural neighborhood of Mountainaire, on moderate to heavily forested Coconino National Forest property, about 2.9 nautical miles from the departure end of FLG runway 21 on a true bearing of 170 degrees. Impact elevation was 6,815 feet. The airplane struck several tall pine trees, with the first tree impact about 40 feet above ground level. The flight path through the trees had a depression angle of about 14 degrees. The main wreckage came to rest upright on an approximate true heading of 322 degrees. The right wing and outboard left wing were separated by tree impacts. The engine was separated from all four mounts but remained adjacent to the firewall; the propeller remained attached. Fire consumed or severely damaged much of the fuselage, including cockpit instruments and controls. Propeller and tree damage were consistent with the engine developing power at impact. No evidence of in-flight fire or structural failure was found.
Additional Examination Details
Airframe examination revealed the flaps and speedbrakes were retracted. Elevator trim was set to about 6 degrees tab trailing edge down, aileron trim to 2 degrees left tab trailing edge up. No pre-impact anomalies were found on flight control cables, though thermal and impact damage limited assessment. Both magnetos were timed within 1 degree of specification; the left magneto operated intermittently after replacement of a thermally damaged capacitor, attributed to internal thermal damage. All spark plugs showed normal worn condition except the number 5 cylinder's plugs displayed light soot and a lead globule. Manual rotation of the crankshaft confirmed continuity. The number 5 cylinder exhaust valve showed signatures of excessively lean operation and possible exhaust gas leak. The electric boost pump motor was fire-damaged; the pump was not recovered. The engine-driven fuel pump had accumulated polyester material (from flexible fuel line braiding) in the vapor return port. The throttle body was fire-consumed. The fuel selector was set to the left main tank. The number 5 cylinder fuel nozzle had partial debris obstruction. The engine monitor data could not be recovered due to thermal damage.
Propeller examination at the Hartzell facility confirmed the model was appropriate and revealed no pre-impact anomalies. The cabin air conditioning system was prohibited from use during takeoff; the POH stated a 5% decrement to cruise speed and range when operating but provided no climb performance data.
Fuel obtained from the FBO was tested and showed no anomalies. Multiple other aircraft were refueled from the same source without issue.
Witness Observations
The FBO owner noted the pilot was unfamiliar with Grand Canyon airspace constraints, the dedicated VFR chart, and Military Operations Areas. The lodging proprietor asked if the pilot was accustomed to high-elevation operations; the pilot responded he was not familiar or used to such operations but was not particularly concerned about the flight to Bryce Canyon (elevation about 300 feet lower than FLG).
The Cessna pilot did not observe the Beechcraft take off but saw it climbing slowly and later impact trees.
Probable Cause
The investigation did not state a probable cause.