History of Flight
On October 29, 2015, at 0754 central daylight time, a Raytheon Aircraft Company A36 airplane, registration N3BE, impacted terrain shortly after departing from Russellville Regional Airport (RUE), Russellville, Arkansas. The commercial-rated pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by Valley Motors, Inc., under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight departed on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan with a planned destination of McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), Knoxville, Tennessee. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
A mechanic at RUE observed the airplane taxi out and depart normally from runway 7, noting the engine sounded "excellent." A fixed base operator employee also observed a normal takeoff with no engine anomalies. Two witnesses east of the airport heard the engine on departure; one perceived it as "cutting out," and the other noticed it "sputtering."
An airport surveillance video recorded the airplane departing from runway 7 (field elevation 404 ft msl). The airplane subsequently impacted a ridge about 1 mile from the runway's departure end at an elevation of 620 ft msl. A postimpact fire consumed most of the airplane.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 65, held commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates with airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument ratings. On his most recent FAA medical application (February 23, 2015), he reported 12,716 total flight hours. Pilot logbooks were not available. According to other pilots, he had worked as a flight instructor and flown for multiple Part 135 operators for over 25 years, with extensive experience flying out of RUE.
On his medical application, he listed several conditions: thyroid cancer and removal (1979), gastroesophageal reflux disease, atrial fibrillation causing fainting (2004), and chronic kidney disease. Medications included terazosin, amiodarone, calcitriol, pravastatin, ranitidine, levothyroxine, and lisinopril. He received a time-limited special issuance second class medical certificate with a corrective lens limitation, valid until February 29, 2016.
Aircraft Information
The airplane, a Raytheon A36, serial number E-3300, was issued a standard airworthiness certificate on February 7, 2000. It was equipped with a Continental IO-550-B engine (serial number 684769) and a Hartzell 3-bladed aluminum-hub propeller. The Honeywell avionics suite included a Bendix/King KFC 225 Automatic Flight Control System and Garmin 430W/530W navigators. The last annual inspection was performed on June 1, 2015, at 722.3 flight hours.
Meteorological Information
At 0753, RUE reported: wind calm, visibility 4 miles, overcast ceiling 200 ft agl with mist, temperature 12°C, dew point 11°C, altimeter 29.92 inHg. At 0819, conditions worsened: wind 010° at 4 knots, visibility 3/4 mile, overcast 200 ft agl with mist, temperature 12°C, dew point 11°C, altimeter 29.93 inHg.
The pilot used DUATS to obtain weather briefings three times, the last at 0518, which included IFR conditions at RUE and marginal VFR to IFR conditions en route.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane collided with treetops in a rural area, then struck a stone retaining wall and a hillside. It came to rest 282 ft beyond the first tree strike on a heading of 310°. The engine separated and was found inverted uphill from the airframe. The propeller separated from the engine; the spinner was crushed aft, and all three blades remained attached. Multiple tree limbs with diagonal cuts and black paint transfers consistent with propeller strikes were found.
All six engine cylinders remained secured; right-side cylinders had significant thermal damage, left-side minimal. With bottom sparkplugs removed, borescope examination revealed no anomalies in cylinder barrels, pistons, heads, valves, or seats. Magnetos remained secured; the left magneto produced sparks during rotation, but the right magneto did not until its capacitor was removed. The capacitor was thermally distorted with partially melted wire insulation. The crankshaft rotated manually with continuity; left cylinders produced thumb compression, right cylinders could not due to thermal damage.
The engine-driven fuel pump showed no anomalies. The throttle body and fuel metering unit were separated; the throttle valve was near full open. The mixture cable was attached, and the throttle lever was fractured near the cable attach area. The fuel inlet screen had some black debris but was not obstructed. The fuel manifold valve contained residual fuel; all injector nozzles were clear except No. 1, which had dirt and debris.
Flap and landing gear actuators were in retracted positions. The airspeed indicator indicated 120 knots. No mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation were found in the airframe or engine.
Additional Information
On December 1, 2014, the pilot began a King Air 200 initial simulator course but voluntarily withdrew after four days at the instructor's recommendation due to performance below standards, including "falling behind the aircraft" and task saturation during instrument procedures.
From February to July 2015, he flew a King Air 200 as second-in-command. The pilot-in-command noted weak multi-tasking and situational awareness, including an incident where he landed with brakes engaged, blowing both main tires. The pilot tended to have instrument fixation, struggled with the flight director, and sometimes did not reference the attitude indicator enough during critical phases.
Other pilots from his earlier career described him as competent, conscientious, and skillful; he flew for 20 to 25 years without failing a check ride.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy determined the pilot's cause of death as multiple blunt injuries, manner accidental. A focal 70% narrowing by atherosclerotic plaque was found in the left anterior descending coronary artery, but otherwise the heart was unremarkable. Toxicology identified terazosin in blood, and pravastatin, ranitidine, terazosin, and salicylate in urine; all were reported or are over-the-counter.
Tests and Research
At maximum gross weight, the airplane's climb rate was calculated to be 1,150 ft per minute based on full power and 100 knots indicated airspeed. The minimum required IFR departure climb rate to clear terrain on runway 7 at RUE was 835 ft per minute at 100 knots ground speed and 955 ft per minute at 120 knots ground speed.