History of Flight
On June 12, 2015, about 0700 central daylight time, a Beech A-36 airplane, N3193W, was destroyed by impact forces and a post-impact fire following a loss of control during initial climb after takeoff from a private airstrip near Huggins, Missouri. The pilot and three passengers received fatal injuries, and one passenger received serious injuries. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not on a flight plan. The flight originated at the time of the accident, destined for Provo Municipal Airport, Provo, Utah.
The brother of the pilot, a witness, reported that he saw the airplane taxi to the north end of the 2,000-foot-long grass runway, turn around for a takeoff to the south, lift off, then begin a right turn toward an opening in the tree line at the departure end. The airplane then pitched up abruptly, rolled to the left, and dove into the ground.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land airplane rating. He was issued a third-class airman medical certificate with no restrictions on November 12, 2014. The pilot's logbook was not available for review.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a Beechcraft model A-36 "Bonanza", serial number E-555, manufactured in 1974. It was a six-place, low-wing, single-engine airplane with a tricycle landing gear configuration. It was issued an FAA normal category standard airworthiness certificate on April 9, 1974. The airplane was powered by a 285-horsepower Continental Motors IO-520-BA six-cylinder reciprocating engine, serial number 280725-R. The airframe, engine, and propeller logbooks were not recovered; however, the maintenance shop that performed the most recent annual inspection (completed on June 3, 2014) provided copies of the maintenance endorsements. The pilot purchased the airplane on April 14, 2005.
Meteorological Information
At 0658, weather conditions at Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport-Forney Field, Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri (about 24 miles north of the accident site) were: wind from 190 degrees at 7 knots, variable from 160 to 230 degrees; visibility 10 statute miles; sky clear; temperature 25°C; dew point 23°C; altimeter 29.85 inches of mercury.
Airport Information
The accident occurred at a privately owned airstrip with a turf runway about 2,000 ft long by 60 ft wide, owned by the pilot's father. The runway was oriented north-south. To the north, no obstructions existed and terrain sloped downward; to the south, a two-story house and trees about 70 ft high were present. The runway had an upward slope to the south. About 180 ft west of the south end was a clearing used as a taxiway, about 180 ft wide.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest inverted about 100 ft west of the south end of the runway. The runway had a slight uphill slope to the south with 70-ft trees at the departure end. The entire cabin and most of the left wing were consumed by post-impact fire. The right wing was largely intact with fire damage to the inboard end and crush damage along its length. The lower fuselage skin separated at the aft edge. The propeller, with all three blades attached to the hub, was found in the initial impact crater; blades displayed leading edge gouging and chordwise scratching. Crankshaft flange remained attached to the hub but separated from the rest of the crankshaft. Impact scars for both wings indicated a near-vertical impact. Based on takeoff direction, the airplane had rolled inverted before impact. Tail surfaces were intact with minor damage. Control cables were largely intact except for fire-damaged components and a broken right aileron cable (overload failure). Flap actuators were melted. The engine had broken from its mounts; external examination revealed no failure. Teardown at the manufacturer's facility showed impact and thermal damage but no pre-existing anomalies that would preclude normal operation. The induction and exhaust systems exhibited thermal and impact damage. Magnetos, ignition harness, spark plugs, fuel pump, throttle/fuel metering assembly, fuel manifold valve, and fuel nozzles all showed thermal and/or impact damage.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot attributed death to injuries received in the accident. Toxicology testing by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute was negative for all substances in the screening profile.
Additional Information
A handheld GPS receiver recovered from the site provided 15 data points recorded about 7 seconds apart. It confirmed the witness account: the airplane taxied to the north end, turned for takeoff to the south, lifted off about 900 ft from the north end, and turned right (west). GPS ground speed at liftoff was about 44 knots, accelerating to a maximum of 50 knots before decreasing to 44 knots at the last data point (about 270 ft north of the wreckage). Estimated airspeed at the last point was 51 knots. Fuel load was unknown; accurate takeoff weight could not be determined. The Airplane Flight Manual did not list power-on stall speeds; power-off, flaps-up, zero-bank stall speeds ranged from 57 to 65 knots (depending on weight), and flaps-down stall speeds ranged from 53 to 58 knots; the manual required flaps retracted for takeoff.