History of Flight
On February 18, 2016, about 1910 eastern standard time, a Beech A36, registration N61WB, made a forced landing after a total loss of engine power near Marshville, North Carolina. The airline transport rated pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Indigo Air LLC as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight. Night visual meteorological conditions existed near the accident site at the time, and the flight was operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight originated at Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB), Daytona Beach, Florida, about 1554, and was destined for Davidson County Airport (EXX), Lexington, North Carolina.
According to a representative of the operator, the pilot flew part-time for Indigo Air LLC. Earlier that day, the flight originated from EXX, where the airplane was based, with full fuel (80 gallons total, 74 usable). The pilot flew to Piedmont-Triad International Airport (GSO), Greensboro, North Carolina, picked up the company's owner and a passenger, then flew direct to DAB. No fuel was purchased at GSO. At DAB, the pilot told the owner he was going to put 15 gallons of fuel in one side. The owner paid for the fuel and left. The lineman who fueled the airplane noted that the bladder tanks were bulging out of the fuel port on each tank. The lineman and the FBO's safety director pointed out the bulging to the pilot, who touched the bladder and said it was okay to fuel. FBO records indicated that 30 gallons of 100LL fuel were purchased and distributed evenly between the tanks. The flight then departed for EXX.
About 3 hours into the flight, at a cruise altitude of 5,000 ft mean sea level, about 50 miles south of EXX, the pilot reported a loss of engine power to air traffic control and requested vectors to the nearest airport. The pilot subsequently made a forced landing about 10.5 miles east-northeast of Charlotte Executive Airport (EQY), Monroe, North Carolina. A witness about 3.5 miles east of the accident site heard the engine cutting in and out, like it ran out of gas. He saw the airplane in level flight about 1,000 to 1,500 ft above ground, with landing and navigation lights on. The pilot attempted to restart the engine 4 or 5 times; each time it would run a few seconds then quit. On the last attempt, the engine started and the pilot appeared to pull the throttle to idle. The witness watched as the airplane descended in a gradual glide before disappearing from view.
Personnel Information
The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with a rating for airplane multiengine land, and a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. He also held numerous corporate jet type ratings. His last FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on October 13, 2015, with a restriction to wear corrective lenses. At that time, he reported a total of 17,000 flight hours. The pilot's logbooks were not located.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a single-engine, 6-seat, low-wing airplane equipped with a Continental Motors Inc. IO-520-BB, 6-cylinder engine and a three-blade Hartzell constant-speed propeller. The most recent annual inspection was conducted on May 15, 2015, at a total tachometer time of 1,843.60 hours. A review of the airplane's flight and refueling history revealed that the pilot landed at DAB with about 15 gallons of total fuel. With the fuel added at DAB, about 45 gallons was onboard at departure. According to the Pilot Operating Handbook, the IO-520-BB engine burned about 15.2 gallons per hour, not including taxi, takeoff, and climb.
Meteorological Information
The 1853 weather observation at Charlotte Executive Airport (EQY) included clear skies, visibility 10 miles, wind 030° at 5 knots, temperature 9°C, dewpoint -2°C, and altimeter setting 30.43 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest upright in a wooded area behind a private residence on a heading of 180° magnetic. There was no postimpact fire. The wreckage indicated that the airplane initially collided with a stand of about 60-ft-tall trees in a left-wing-low attitude and traveled about 134 ft to where it came to rest nose low, slightly tail-high. The landing gear and flaps were fully retracted. Damage was noted to the firewall, leading edges of both wings, a propeller blade, and the leading edge of the right horizontal stabilizer. Pieces of the windscreen were dispersed forward of the engine. The throttle, mixture, and propeller controls were all full forward.
Examination of the fuel system revealed the fuel selector handle set to the right tank. Visual examination inside each fuel tank showed a small amount of fuel in each bladder. When electrical power was applied, left and right fuel gauges each indicated about 1/8 full. Draining yielded just under 1 quart of fuel from each tank. The fuel was absent of debris and water. The bladder tanks had no breaches, but neither was properly seated, and they were pushing up on their respective fuel sensor. No fuel staining was observed. The main fuel line to the fuel pump contained no fuel. Air blown back through the line into each tank found no obstructions. The fuel pump was removed and rotated; no fuel was observed in the pump. The top of the fuel manifold was disassembled, and a small amount of fuel was noted in the manifold chamber. About 2 ounces of 100LL fuel was drained from the airframe fuel filter, absent of debris and water. The fuel strainer screen exhibited light corrosion but no debris.
Flight control continuity was established. Examination of the airframe revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The propeller remained attached; two blades were undamaged, and the third was bent rearward about 90°. The engine was removed and examined. Top spark plugs appeared normal with light coloration. Manual rotation via the propeller provided thumb compression for each cylinder and spark to each ignition lead. Borescope inspection showed intact valves with normal combustion signatures. The engine was placed on a test stand and ran through all power settings with no abnormalities. No mechanical discrepancies were found that would have precluded normal operation.
A handheld Garmin 496 GPS unit was found in the wreckage; however, the accident flight was not captured.
Medical and Pathological Information
Examination of the pilot's lap belt and shoulder harness assembly revealed it remained intact but was found unbuckled with the shoulder harness not attached. The lap belt shoulder harness attachment post elastic grommet was not installed, and when manually assembled, the shoulder harness attachment buckle would not seat securely. According to the death investigator's notes, the pilot was found deceased, slumped over in the left seat, still wearing his seatbelt. Although the airplane was equipped with a single shoulder harness, injuries sustained by the pilot were consistent with not being restrained by the shoulder harness at impact.
The autopsy performed by the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death as blunt force injuries due to airplane crash; manner of death was accident. No significant natural disease was identified. Injuries included contusions and abrasions of the face, fractured teeth, contusions, abrasions, and fractures of the torso, and disruption of the proximal descending aorta with massive left hemothorax.
At his last FAA medical, the pilot reported hypertension and high cholesterol, treated with doxazosin and simvastatin, respectively. Toxicological analysis by the FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory was positive for doxazosin in blood and urine. Doxazosin is not considered an impairing medication.