History of Flight
On August 12, 2016, at 1222 eastern daylight time, a Beech 95-B55, N128VB, collided with trees and terrain during an aborted landing at Shannon Airport (EZF), Fredericksburg, Virginia. The private pilot and five passengers, one of whom was a commercial pilot, were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Ross and Company PLL and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight, which originated from Shelbyville Municipal Airport (GEZ), Shelbyville, Indiana, about 1015.
The pilot had earlier departed Bowman Field Airport (LOU), Louisville, Kentucky, and flew to GEZ to pick up passengers. A lineman stated that after landing, the pilot requested the main inboard fuel tanks be "topped off." The lineman topped off the left tank; the pilot-rated passenger requested that the right tank be left down an inch or two. A total of 40.3 gallons of fuel was added. The lineman overheard the pilot say "we have 15 gallons in each of the aux[iliary] tanks." Estimated total fuel on board after refueling was about 100 gallons, comprising two 15-gallon auxiliary tanks and two 37-gallon main tanks (right main about 4 gallons less).
The pilot had difficulty starting the engines, attempting for 10 to 15 minutes before the pilot-rated passenger called for assistance. With help, the engines started, and the airplane departed about 1005. A witness noted the airplane appeared to "porpoise" down the runway during takeoff roll.
The pilot contacted ATC at 1013 requesting radar flight following to EZF. The flight continued at 7,500 ft msl. Communications were briefly lost between 1121 and 1136 but reestablished. The flight was transferred to multiple controllers and finally advised to contact Quantico approach, which advised the pilot that EZF was ahead. The pilot acknowledged and said he had the airport in sight, the last recorded communication.
An Appareo Stratus 2S ADS-B receiver was recovered and data analyzed. The airplane approached EZF from the northwest, entered a left crosswind for runway 24, then downwind and final approach. On final, at about 3/4 nautical mile from the runway, altitude was 614 ft msl and groundspeed 102 knots. At the threshold, altitude was 122 ft msl (about 40 ft above runway), groundspeed 87 knots. About 500 ft down the runway, altitude was 103 ft msl (about 20 ft above), groundspeed 77 knots. At the runway midpoint (2,999 ft long), groundspeed was 64 knots. About 3 seconds later, as speed decreased to 60 knots, the airplane pitched up and began a climbing left turn, slowing to 54 knots with a pitch of about 15.4°. About 30 seconds later, on a heading of 198°, pitch up and left roll increased rapidly before impact.
Several witnesses observed the airplane on final approach. One stated it appeared "high" and traveling fast. Two others said it "landed long," bounced several times, and initiated a go-around. Both engines seemed to be producing power. A security camera captured the airplane from about 1,400 ft from the approach end; it showed the airplane slightly above the runway at about 70 knots with landing gear and flaps extended, then climbing and slowing to about 58 knots at 50 ft above ground, before abruptly pitching up and rolling left, descending to impact.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 73, held a private pilot certificate with single-engine and multi-engine land ratings. He did not possess a current medical certificate at the time of the accident. According to his logbook, he had accumulated 233.2 total flight hours since April 30, 2001, with 189.1 hours in the accident airplane. In the previous 12 months and 90 days, he logged 9.4 hours and 2.6 hours, respectively, all in the accident airplane. His most recent flight in that airplane was in June 2016.
The pilot-rated passenger, age 64, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multi-engine land, single-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument airplane. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued May 11, 2016, with a limitation for glasses for near vision. His logbook showed 2,273 total hours, of which 1,149.4 hours were in multi-engine airplanes, and 5.9 hours in the accident airplane make and model. His last logged multi-engine flight was in the accident airplane on October 22, 2015.
Aircraft Information
The six-seat, twin-engine, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane was manufactured in 1969. It was equipped with 260-horsepower Continental IO-470-L engines and three-blade Hartzell controllable-pitch propellers. The most recent annual inspection was completed on May 15, 2016, at an airframe total time of 4,224.4 hours. Maintenance records indicated engine work in February 2014: the left engine was disassembled and repaired at 4,689.0 hours total time and 518 hours since major overhaul; the right engine was disassembled and repaired at 2,301.4 hours total time and 620.8 hours since major overhaul. Both engines had a 100-hour inspection on May 15, 2016.
Weight and balance calculations estimated takeoff weight at 4,979 pounds (below maximum gross weight of 5,100 pounds) and landing weight at 4,679 pounds. Estimated centers of gravity were 84.5 inches at takeoff and 84.6 inches at landing, within limits of 81.0 to 86.0 inches.
The pilot's operating handbook lists normal procedure airspeeds: two-engine best angle of climb 84 knots, best rate of climb 107 knots, balked landing climb 90 knots, stall speed with landing gear extended and flaps down 73 knots, and stall speed with flaps retracted 79 knots. A calculation of expected landing distance, assuming approach at 86 knots at 50 ft above ground and prevailing conditions, indicated the runway required to safely land and stop was 1,280 feet, with about 1,850 feet needed to clear a 50-foot obstacle.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was located about 700 ft south-southeast of the departure end of runway 24 on an embankment adjacent to a railway service road. All major components were accounted for. Trees exhibited gouges, angular-cut branches, and paint transfers. The airplane was found upright with the rear fuselage and empennage suspended from 5-ft-high bushes. The fuselage, including nose, instrument panel, cockpit, and cabin, was consumed by a postimpact fire. Both wings were separated from their attach points. The left engine remained partially attached to the left wing and was found inverted about 15 ft from the fuselage. The right engine separated from the right wing, and the right propeller assembly separated from the engine. All right wing components were within 20 ft of the fuselage.
Flight control cables were traced; the elevator and rudder cables were attached to rear bell cranks. The right aileron components were damaged. The flaps were in the up/retracted position; the right flap actuator indicated flaps up. The landing gear was found retracted. The fuel selector valves were positioned to left and right main tanks.
The left engine was examined and test run; no pre-accident anomalies were found that would preclude normal operation. The left propeller blades were rotated toward a feathered pitch setting but internal examination showed the propeller was not feathered at impact. The right engine also showed no pre-accident anomalies; the propeller was separated and blades twisted toward low pitch.