History of Flight
On July 26, 2015, at 1513 central daylight time, a Beechcraft V35B airplane, registration N252G, struck trees and impacted terrain during a forced landing near Colbert, Oklahoma. The private pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger was seriously injured and died 5 days later. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to Avprop, LLC and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF), Springfield, Missouri, at 1317.
The pilot and his wife were returning to Fort Worth, Texas, from Jackson, Michigan. Earlier that day, they departed Jackson County-Reynolds Field (JXN), Jackson, Michigan, and flew to SGF, where they landed and refueled, taking on 45 gallons of aviation gasoline. GPS data showed the airplane climbed to and maintained 11,000 ft mean sea level (msl).
About 1501, the pilot contacted Fort Worth Air Traffic Control Center (ZFW) and declared an emergency, reporting a loss of engine power and requesting the nearest airport. The controller provided vectors to North Texas Regional Airport (GYI) and later Durant Regional Airport (DUA). The pilot reported partial power but ultimately did not reach an airport. Radar data showed the airplane maneuvering and descending until last contact at 700 ft msl, about 5 miles southeast of Colbert.
Aircraft Information
The four-place, single-engine, V-tail airplane, serial number D-10266, was equipped with two 40-gallon fuel tanks and powered by a 285 horsepower Continental Motors IO-520-BB engine, serial number 836904-R. It had undergone a 100-hour inspection on January 14, 2015, at an airframe time of 3,841.4 hours.
Wreckage and Impact
The accident site was located in a wooded area about 5 miles southeast of Colbert. The airplane came to rest upright on a south-southwesterly heading. Initial impact was with pine trees about 100 ft east-northeast of the wreckage. An impact crater about 25 ft wide and 20 ft long was found 40 ft east of the airplane. The main wreckage included the cabin, fuselage, engine, propeller, wings, and empennage. The engine and propeller remained attached; one propeller blade was bent aft. The left wing was intact with 32 gallons of fuel recovered; the right wing was broken at mid-span with the right fuel tank ruptured. Flight control continuity was confirmed. An engine examination revealed no anomalies. The fuel selector valve handle was positioned between the left and right tank positions; no air flowed through the valve in that intermediate position.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot attributed death to multiple blunt force injuries. Significant heart disease was identified, including about 90% stenosis of the posterior descending coronary artery, and about 25% stenosis in the left main, left anterior descending, and right coronary arteries. Toxicology testing detected rosuvastatin in the pilot's urine but not in his blood; rosuvastatin is a non-impairing statin medication.
Additional Information
The Raytheon Beech Hawker Pilot's Operating Handbook for the V35B provides emergency procedures for engine failure, including selecting the other fuel tank and ensuring detent. The handbook states a glide distance of approximately 1.7 nm per 1,000 ft of altitude in maximum glide configuration. An after-market laminated checklist found in the wreckage listed under ENGINE FAILURE INFLIGHT: "FUEL SELECTOR … FULLEST TANK/OTHER."
ATC communications showed the controller provided vector information, but the pilot did not reach an airport. The controller was developmental and under instruction; the private airstrip mentioned was not depicted on radar.