Accident Overview
On August 28, 2015, about 1400 central daylight time, a Beechcraft E-90, registered as N891PC, was substantially damaged during an off-airport landing near Fayetteville, Tennessee. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The aircraft was operated by Chopaire LLC under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight and Electrical Failure
The flight departed from Shelbyville Municipal Airport (SYI), Shelbyville, Tennessee, with a destination of Huntsville International Airport (HSV), Huntsville, Alabama. Visual flight rules conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported a normal start-up, taxi, and takeoff, with approximately 270 gallons of fuel on board for the 65-mile trip. Several minutes after takeoff, while climbing through 3,000 feet, a total electrical failure occurred. The pilot performed the generator inoperative emergency checklist but was unable to restore electrical power. He did not observe the GEN OUT annunciator light. After turning all switches off and then cycling the battery and generator switches, power could not be restored.
Diversion and Landing Gear Issue
Without electrical power or communication ability, the pilot diverted to Fayetteville Municipal Airport (FYM), about 30 miles south of SYI. After arriving in the traffic pattern at FYM—a public-use airport with a 5,900-foot-long by 100-foot-wide paved and lighted runway oriented 02/20—the pilot attempted to lower the landing gear using emergency extension procedures. He reported no resistance in the manual extension handle and did not believe the gear was extending. Without electrical power, the green landing gear lights were non-functional. The pilot discontinued pumping the handle and decided to land off-airport to avoid airport traffic, departing the FYM pattern and selecting an open field.
Off-Airport Landing
The aircraft touched down in waist-high soybeans and soft ground, coming to an abrupt stop within several hundred feet. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, landing gear doors, engines, and propellers.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The 62-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. He reported 1,882 total flight hours, with 230 hours in the accident make and model. His most recent flight review was on August 8, 2015, in the accident aircraft. This was the pilot's second flight in this type without an instructor in the right seat. A witness noted it was unusual that he was not flying with a safety pilot.
The aircraft, manufactured in 1973, was an 8-seat, low-wing, twin turboprop equipped with Pratt & Whitney PT6-28 engines (each rated at 680 horsepower) and four-blade Hartzell propellers. The left and right engines had 6,255 and 12,471 total hours, respectively; the airframe had accumulated 11,283 total hours since its most recent annual inspection on June 4, 2015.
Electrical System and Landing Gear Mechanism
The airplane had a 24-volt, 45 ampere-hour battery providing starting and electrical loads; at full charge, it would last about 30 minutes. Two starter generators each supplied continuous power at 250 amperes at 28.25 volts. The pilot reported running the electrical system failure checklist, including resetting the generator, but could not restore power.
The landing gear extension mechanism was electrically driven and mechanically actuated via a chain-driven motor. Without electrical power, normal extension was impossible, and the three green down-and-locked lights would not function. Per the King Air E-90 Airplane Flight Manual, the emergency procedure requires establishing 120 knots indicated airspeed, pulling the landing gear circuit breaker, placing the handle down, lifting and turning the "J" handle 50° clockwise to engage the clutch, then pumping the extension lever until three green lights appear (which would not occur due to power loss). The manual did not specify the number of pumps required. Postaccident examination found the "J" handle in the stowed position, not pulled up or turned; pumping the extension handle without engaging the "J" handle would not lower the gear and provided no feedback.
Weather Conditions
At 1415, the weather recorded at FYM, located 8 miles southeast of the accident site, included scattered clouds at 3,900 feet, wind from 160° at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 29°C, dew point 15°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.09 inches of mercury.