History of Flight
On August 16, 2015, at 0745 eastern daylight time, a Beech C35, registration N5946C, collided with a railroad grade crossing cantilever arm and terrain during a forced landing in Hicksville, New York. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries, and one passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postimpact fire. The flight was conducted as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand air taxi operation, with the pilot as the operator. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Francis S. Gabreski Airport (FOK) in Westhampton Beach, New York, and was destined for Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU) in Morristown, New Jersey.
Departure from FOK occurred about 0720. The pilot checked in with air traffic control while climbing through 1,300 ft mean sea level (msl) and requested a climb to 6,500 ft to transition through New York Class B airspace. The flight was transferred between controllers as it progressed westbound at 140 knots ground speed at 6,500 ft. At 0738:43, the airplane's groundspeed suddenly decreased, and it began a slight ascent to 6,600 ft. The pilot did not report any difficulty initially. About 0740, the controller directed the pilot to turn right heading 360°, at which point the airplane was at 60 knots ground speed and 5,700 ft. The pilot then stated he was "having a little bit of a problem" and considered diverting to Republic Airport (FRG) in Farmingdale, New York. He later advised he would "have to take it down at…the closest spot." The controller provided locations of nearby airports, including a closed airport at Bethpage, New York. The pilot attempted to locate Bethpage but ultimately lost contact after 0744:35.
The passenger reported hearing a loud "pop" sound and seeing a flicker of light from the engine area, followed by an "oil smell." The engine began to sputter and lost power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine without success.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 59, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine, multiengine, and instrument ratings. He was issued a second-class FAA airman medical certificate on December 22, 2014, with the limitation that he must wear glasses for near vision. He reported 3,300 total flight hours. Records indicated he completed a Part 135.299 line check on June 18, 2015, and was listed as a single-pilot operator under Milo Air, Inc., conducting on-demand air taxi flights. The accident airplane was the only aircraft used by Milo Air. The pilot's family provided two pilot logbooks, but the latest entries were dated May 13, 2008; no recent logbooks were located.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane was manufactured in 1952. It was powered by a 260-horsepower Continental Motors IO-470-N engine driving a three-bladed Hartzell constant-speed propeller. The airplane was modified with two Beryl D'Shannon fiberglass 15-gallon auxiliary wing tip tanks under a supplemental type certificate. The most recent annual inspection of the airframe and engine was completed on June 7, 2015, at which time the airframe total time was 6,979 hours. The original engine had been replaced with the IO-470-N on December 15, 1998. At the last inspection, engine total time was about 2,913 hours, including 1,427 hours since the last major overhaul. The engine had been disassembled twice after propeller strikes (February 23, 2006, and October 24, 2007), but maintenance records showed no recent disassembly or cylinder replacement.
Meteorological Information
Republic Airport (FRG), located about 4 nm east-southeast of the accident site, reported weather at 0753: calm wind, visibility 10 statute miles, few clouds at 9,000 ft, temperature 25°C, dew point 19°C, and altimeter setting 30.12 inches of Mercury. Velocity azimuth display wind profile data for John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) showed winds from the northwest at 20 knots at 4,000 and 3,000 ft above ground level (agl), 15 knots at 2,000 ft agl, and 10 knots at 1,000 ft agl.
Airport Information
After the pilot determined he wanted to land at FRG, the LaGuardia Airport (LGA) departure controller advised of a landing strip at Bethpage Airport, depicted on his radar video map (RVM) as about 3 miles northwest of FRG and closer to the airplane. Bethpage Airport had been closed for several years, and the former airport area was occupied by buildings. The accident site was about 0.25 nm northwest of the former approach end of runway 15. Bethpage Airport was removed from FAA sectional charts in October 2012 and from the N90 airport display automation database before 2001. No equipment discrepancies related to N90 RVMs were reported.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane first struck a railroad grade crossing cantilever arm, with the main wreckage coming to rest inverted on the Long Island Rail Road tracks. The debris field was about 100 ft long and 20 ft wide, oriented on a heading of 150°. The outboard section of the right wing was found under the cantilever arm. The cockpit instrument panel was destroyed by impact and fire. Fuel selector position could not be determined due to fire damage. The left wing remained attached; the right wing separated during the collision. The propeller assembly separated from the engine and exhibited no rotational damage signatures.
The engine was examined at the manufacturer's facility. A large hole was found in the oil sump. The oil pickup tube was impact-damaged. The oil pump gears were intact and coated with oil. Metal particulates were present in the oil filter element. All six cylinders were intact with rust in the barrels. The crankshaft was separated at the No. 2 main journal and crank cheek. The No. 2 bearing was dry, heat distressed, partially melted, and extruded; it had rotated in the bearing support. The No. 1, 3, and 4 bearings exhibited heat distress but were coated with oil. Other components showed impact damage but no evidence of undertorqued conditions.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy by the Office of the Medical Examiner, Nassau County, New York, determined the pilot's cause of death as "blunt and thermal injuries," with the manner of death as "accident." No significant natural disease was identified. Toxicology testing by the FAA's Bioaeronautical Research Sciences Laboratory identified amphetamine (1.26 ug/ml), oxycodone (0.236 ug/ml), and losartan in heart blood, and 7-amino-clonazepam, acetaminophen, amphetamine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, and losartan in urine. The amphetamine level exceeded the therapeutic range (0.002-0.10 ug/ml), suggesting abuse. Oxycodone, oxymorphone, and clonazepam carry warnings about psychoactive effects and caution against operating machinery. No medical history information was provided by the pilot's family.
Additional Information
Air traffic controller actions: The LGA departure controller observed the airplane's descent and instructed a heading change to prevent conflict with the LGA departure corridor. The pilot did not declare an emergency, and the controller did not request details of the problem. The controller's supervisor and operations manager provided assistance. The controller queried for the nearest emergency airport; FRG appeared, but Bethpage did not. After losing radar contact, controllers assumed the airplane landed at Bethpage. The accident was discovered when a smoke plume was reported. No flight plan was on file.
Radar video maps: Bethpage Airport was depicted on the LGA RVM but not on the Islip RVM. The FAA did not require periodic review and validation of RVMs beyond biennial review of emergency obstruction video maps. Procedures did not ensure closed airports were removed from RVMs systemwide. After this accident, the FAA revised its procedures to require removal of nonoperational airports from RVMs.
The Beech C35 Pilot's Operating Handbook specifies a maximum glide configuration with landing gear up, flaps up, cowl flaps closed, propeller low RPM, and airspeed 105 knots, providing about 1.7 nm glide distance per 1,000 ft of altitude. At 6,500 ft, the lateral glide distance would have been about 10.8 nm in calm conditions. The airplane was about 7 nm northwest of FRG when the sudden airspeed decrease occurred. The pilot continued westbound for 2 minutes 18 seconds before turning left.