Introduction
On June 2, 2015, about 0800 eastern daylight time, a Beech A36, registration N985K, was substantially damaged when it struck trees and terrain while maneuvering to land at Siler City Municipal Airport (SCR) in Siler City, North Carolina. The private pilot, seated in the left seat, sustained serious injuries, and the commercial pilot-rated passenger in the right seat was fatally injured. The airplane was privately owned and operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight originating from Moore County Airport (SOP) in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
Sequence of Events
According to a friend of the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to reposition the airplane for alternator maintenance. Due to concerns about the electrical system, the pilot kept the landing gear extended for the entire flight and planned to use a handheld communication radio. The friend departed SOP shortly after and arrived near SCR before the accident airplane, observing a "haze" layer on the north side of the airport that was absent to the south. He then maneuvered to allow the accident airplane to enter the traffic pattern and land first.
The accident airplane initially entered a downwind leg for runway 22, but upon noticing the haze, the pilot announced a transition over the airport to a left downwind for runway 4. The friend intermittently observed the airplane and noted that during the downwind-to-base turn, it was near the runway in a left bank and nose-high attitude. He described the turn from base to final as "too tight" and believed the airplane entered an accelerated stall. Subsequently, he saw the airplane in a nose-down attitude heading toward trees bordering the east side of the runway, short of the threshold. After receiving no reply to radio inquiries, the friend orbited the last observed area, located the accident site, landed, contacted emergency services, and proceeded to render assistance.
Pilot Information
The left-seat pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating and a third-class FAA medical certificate issued in June 2014, reporting 1,430 total flight hours. The right-seat passenger held a commercial pilot certificate with single- and multi-engine land ratings, an instrument airplane rating, and a flight instructor certificate with the same ratings. She held a second-class medical certificate issued in September 2014 and reported 4,900 total flight hours. According to the friend, she was not acting as a flight instructor on this flight.
Aircraft Examination
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage at the accident site. The initial impact point was a tree about 500 ft southeast of the runway 4 approach threshold and 300 ft southeast of the extended runway centerline. The wreckage came to rest 65 ft from the initial impact on a 065° magnetic bearing. First responders reported an odor of fuel but no postimpact fire.
Detailed examination confirmed flight control continuity from the cockpit to all control surfaces. The landing gear selector was found in the extended position, and the gear actuators were consistent with extension at impact. The flap actuator was retracted. One of three propeller blades had separated from the hub, and all blades exhibited chordwise scratching. The alternator was removed and tested, failing the diagnostic with a report of "low output" and a recommendation to replace the stator or rotor.
Weather
The 0755 weather observation at SCR reported calm wind, 7 statute miles visibility, a broken ceiling at 200 ft, and an overcast ceiling at 9,000 ft, with temperature and dew point both 19°C and an altimeter setting of 30.04 inches of mercury. At 0815, conditions included 5 statute miles visibility in light rain, scattered clouds at 200 ft and 6,500 ft, and an overcast ceiling at 8,000 ft.
Aftermath
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services performed an autopsy on the passenger, listing the cause of death as "multiple injuries."