History of Flight
On February 27, 2016, at 1430 eastern standard time, a Beech 95-C55, N482S, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground during an aborted go-around maneuver at Plymouth Municipal Airport (PYM), Plymouth, Massachusetts. The private pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Marshfield Municipal Airport (GHG) about 1300.
The pilot reported that after departing GHG, he performed some airwork and then flew to PYM to conduct a touch-and-go landing. He entered the PYM traffic pattern on a 45° entry to runway 24, extending his downwind due to a slower airplane on final. He announced his intentions on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF).
After landing, he touched down, rolled several feet, then applied full throttle and rotated for takeoff. Once a positive rate of climb was achieved and he was preparing to retract the flaps, he received an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) traffic advisory warning indicating a possible collision within 15 to 20 seconds. He pulled the throttles back and pushed the yoke forward to land straight ahead. A gust of wind tipped the airplane to the right, causing the tail to strike the ground, followed by the left wing tip and left propeller. The pilot could not recall subsequent events.
The pilot stated that his Avidyne TA was set at the most sensitive level and displayed a large yellow circle. He assumed the traffic alert might involve another airplane using the intersecting runway. He reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Eyewitnesses observed the airplane during approach, landing, takeoff, and impact. No witnesses reported another airplane in the pattern or recalled other communications. One witness described a nose-high attitude with the left wing low, increasing pitch, then a left roll and descent. The airplane appeared to make a "u-turn" and struck the ground on an easterly heading, never exceeding 50 ft. Another witness reported a go-around maneuver with the nose pitching up and banking left, with both engines operating normally.
Personnel Information
The 67-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and multi-engine land. He reported 2,154 total flight hours, including 1,364 hours of multiengine time. His most recent flight review was on February 21, 2016. He purchased the airplane on November 20, 1990.
Aircraft Information
The six-seat, low-wing, retractable tricycle gear, multi-engine airplane was manufactured in 1966. It was powered by two Continental Motors IO-520-CB 285-hp engines with McCauley 3-blade constant speed propellers. The most recent annual inspection was completed on October 14, 2015. At that time, the left and right engines had 316 and 278 hours respectively; the airframe had 3,996 hours. The airplane operated about 12 hours until the accident.
The airplane was equipped with an Avidyne TAS 620 dual antenna ADS-B system using a Garmin GNS-530 for traffic advisory display, and an Insight Avionics G-4 engine monitor recording 22 parameters per engine. After the accident, the engine monitor data was downloaded by an FAA inspector and sent to the NTSB.
The data began at 1353:58 with idle power, followed by taxi, run-up, and takeoff power at 1501:47. At 1534:54, fuel flow, tachometer, and exhaust gas temperature (EGT) decreased uniformly on both engines, indicating descent to final approach. At 1535:30, fuel flow sharply increased from 5.1 and 6.2 gph to 24.4 and 27.5 gph on left and right engines respectively, with increases in tachometer and EGT. Four seconds later, at 1535:34, power rapidly reduced. At 1535:39, near impact time, data rapidly dropped to zero across most parameters.
Meteorological Information
At 1452, a surface observation at PYM reported wind from 240° at 11 knots gusting to 17 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 2°C, dew point -13°C, and altimeter 29.96 inHg.
Airport Information
PYM had no control tower; the CTAF of 123.00 MHz was recorded. Recorded communications showed several airplanes in the pattern for runway 24. At 4 minutes 15 seconds, N482S reported cross-wind entering downwind, then left base at 5:18, and final at 5:43. The accident was reported by another airplane on final shortly after. No communications from aircraft on intersecting runway 15/33 were recorded.
Wreckage and Impact Information
An FAA inspector reported debris spread over 100 ft adjacent to runway 24, oriented eastward. The wings, empennage, and fuselage were substantially damaged. No post-crash fire occurred. The airplane came to rest inverted in grass about 160 ft from runway 24 and about 630 ft south-southwest of the runway 15/33 intersection.
The nose cone was fragmented; the nose compartment buckled and canted right. The empennage remained attached but crushed underneath and canted forward and right. Both wings sustained substantial damage. The right wing leading edge was crushed aft at a 45° angle from about 5 ft outboard of the engine through the wing tip. The left wing leading edge was crushed about 5 ft outboard and 3 ft of the wing tip separated. Flaps were in the 30° down position, undamaged. Landing gear was down. The elevator trim was near the top of the green arc (takeoff position), and both elevator trim tabs were at 13° trailing edge down.
Both engines remained attached. All propeller blades remained on hubs, with blade tips uniformly curled aft and chordwise scraping. Both spinner were crumpled uniformly.
Communications
Recorded CTAF included N482S's calls: cross-wind entering downwind, left base, and final. No communications from other aircraft on intersecting runway 15/33 were recorded.