History of Flight
On April 12, 2014, at about 2119 central daylight time, a Beech C24R airplane, registration N23984, impacted terrain near Denton, Texas, during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The private pilot sustained serious injuries, one passenger sustained minor injuries, and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was registered to N-Ovation Systems, LLC, and operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal cross-country flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight departed Drake Field (FYV), Fayetteville, Arkansas, around 1830, destined for Hicks Field (T67), Fort Worth, Texas.
The pilot reported leveling at 4,500 ft near Class B airspace. Air traffic control (ATC) instructed a descent to 3,500 ft. The pilot reduced power, pulling the throttle back to 19 inches of manifold pressure and the propeller control to 2,000 RPM. Initially, RPM dropped sharply; the pilot eased the propeller control forward, but the RPM fell and the pilot reported losing propulsion. A manifold pressure alarm sounded, and the pilot pulled the throttle to idle. Engine oil pressure and temperature appeared normal. The pilot declared a Mayday and communicated a presumed loss of oil pressure to the propeller to ATC. Advancing both propeller and throttle controls fully produced no response. The pilot attempted a glide to Denton Enterprise Airport (DTO) but lacked altitude. Contacting DTO tower, the pilot stated he would not make the field and prepared for a forced landing to a dark area near a road. Close to the ground, landing lights illuminated a tree. The pilot applied full flaps and back pressure; the stall warning horn sounded, and the pilot lowered the nose. The pilot reported no further memory until the ground impact.
The FAA reported that at about 2116, the pilot contacted approach control with a Mayday, stating the aircraft lost forward thrust. The controller provided directions to DTO and transferred the call to DTO tower, which cleared the airplane to land on runway 18.
In a statement to an FAA inspector, the pilot said he had pulled the wrong knob, intending to adjust the propeller control but instead moving the mixture knob too far aft, causing the engine to sputter and fail.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 39, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land issued March 6, 1999, and a second-class medical certificate issued May 4, 2011, with the limitation "Must wear corrective lenses." At the time of the accident, the pilot had about 178 total flight hours, including 62 hours in the Beech C24R. In the preceding 90 days, the pilot logged 6 hours, with 4 hours in the last 30 days, and 16 total night hours. The last flight review was completed on October 23, 2013.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a 1977 Beech C24R, serial number MC-471, with a standard airworthiness certificate issued July 24, 2013. It was a four-seat, low-wing, single-engine aircraft powered by a Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 fuel-injected engine (200 hp at 2,700 rpm) and a Hartzell HC-M2YR-1BF constant-speed propeller.
According to the airframe logbook, the last annual inspection was on September 13, 2013, at 6,729.0 total airframe hours. The most recent logbook entry on April 3, 2014, recorded replacement of an inoperative alternator, with tachometer time 1,334.0 hours and total airframe time 6,783.6 hours. The total airframe time at the accident was 6,790.0 hours.
Meteorological Information
At 2053, the routine observation at DTO reported wind from 160 degrees at 14 knots, gusting 23 knots, clear skies, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 75°F, dew point 61°F, and altimeter 29.74 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted a field of mesquite trees about 3/4 mile from the approach end of runway 18 at DTO, at an elevation of about 653 ft msl. The impact heading was approximately 160 degrees. The airplane struck a grove of trees about 25 ft high and crossed a water-filled ditch before coming to rest. Broken branches and impact marks were observed. A ground scar was found about 70 ft from the trees, with the main wreckage 20 ft beyond.
The airplane came to rest upright against two trees, oriented on a 020-degree heading. A large tree (about 6 inches in diameter) was embedded in the right wing at the flap and wing root. The right flap was broken out and found on the ground; its outer 30 inches bent upward about 30 degrees. The right aileron was broken out at mid-span. The right main landing gear was collapsed.
The forward fuselage at the forward cabin seats was broken downward and canted right about 30 degrees. The forward windscreen was broken and fragmented. The instrument panel was broken forward and down. Both cabin door posts were broken forward; the right door frame aft portion was bent forward at the latch. The cabin window behind the right door was broken. The nose gear was collapsed.
The left wing was bent upward near mid-span about 15 degrees. A 5-inch "C" shaped dent was in the leading edge about 18 inches outboard of mid-span. The leading edge from the dent to the wingtip was bent and buckled aft. The left flap was bent and broken forward beneath the wing. The left aileron was intact with minor dents. The left main landing gear remained extended, with the gear door bent and buckled.
The fuselage aft of the forward seats and the empennage were intact with minor damage. The propeller had one undamaged blade and one bent aft and twisted at mid-span, with rubbing and chordwise scratches near the hub. Control continuity was confirmed from cabin to all surfaces.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Tarrant County, Texas, conducted an autopsy on the passenger who perished. The cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma to the head and thoracic spine due to a light aircraft crash.
Tests and Research
Examinations on April 14-15, 2014, and July 27, 2016, at Lancaster, Texas, found no pre-impact anomalies in the fuel, vacuum, electrical systems, engine, or constant-speed propeller that would have precluded normal operation. Restraint systems, including seat belts, shoulder harnesses, and inertia locking mechanisms, were undamaged and functioned properly.