Accident Overview
On November 9, 2016, at approximately 1330 eastern standard time, a Beech 36, registration N3089A, was substantially damaged when it struck wooded terrain in Ormond Beach, Florida, shortly after departing Flagler Executive Airport (FIN) in Palm Coast, Florida. The private pilot and a pilot-rated passenger were seriously injured. The aircraft was registered to a private company and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The intended destination was Deland Municipal Airport (DED) in Deland, Florida.
Pilot Statements
The pilot reported that he and his passenger, also a pilot, departed FIN for a 15-minute flight to DED to get lunch and visit a store. He leveled off at 2,000 feet mean sea level (msl) with flaps and landing gear retracted, trimmed for level flight, and the autopilot was not engaged. The airplane “suddenly” rolled to the right, and he could not stop the roll with opposite aileron. The airplane continued to roll inverted, and the pilot-rated passenger took control. The passenger shut off the engine to avoid a potential post-crash fire and applied full left rudder to return to level flight, but the airplane descended while sliding to the right. The passenger slowed the airplane and flared into a stand of trees. The pilot recalled wings striking trees and the airplane “bouncing around like a ping pong ball” before coming to rest. No post-impact fire occurred. The pilot used his cell phone to call 911. He assumed a flight control cable “snapped,” noting no unusual sounds before the upset. Rudder and elevator controls remained functional, but ailerons were unresponsive; when he moved the control wheel, the ailerons did not move.
Pilot-Rated Passenger Statements
The pilot-rated passenger, also a certificated airframe and powerplant mechanic, stated the purpose of the flight was to pick up a vacuum pump. Weather was clear with light wind. About 3 to 4 minutes into the flight, while level at 2,000 feet msl, the airplane began rolling to the right. When the bank reached 90°, the pilot “threw his hands in the air,” and the passenger took control. Despite applying full left aileron, the roll continued. The airplane inverted and entered a dive. The roll was “pretty abrupt,” taking about two seconds from start to inverted. He closed the throttle, told the pilot to turn off the master switch, and regained level flight, but the airplane had descended to 300 feet. He pulled the mixture to shut off the engine about 30 seconds before tree impact. He believed a broken aileron cable caused the roll and, wearing noise-canceling headsets, did not hear any snapping or breaking sounds.
Wreckage Examination
Postaccident examination supervised by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed the airplane first struck a 30- to 40-foot-tall palm tree with its right wing, then a second tree with the right wing. A 9-foot section of the right wing separated and was found at the base of the second tree. The airplane impacted the ground about 125 feet from the first tree, coming to rest inverted against a third tree. The engine and propeller separated and were found forward of the main wreckage. The separated right wing section displayed two semi-circular leading-edge impact marks with tree bark remnants, one about 3 feet and the other about 7 feet from the wingtip. The left wing remained partially attached via control cables and had leading-edge damage. The right horizontal stabilizer separated, showing brown scuff marks and buckling; the left stabilizer remained partially attached. The vertical stabilizer separated, with a diagonal indentation on the right side causing buckling. Flight control cable continuity was confirmed for rudder, elevator, and aileron from surfaces to cockpit inputs. The right aileron UP cable was separated at a turnbuckle inside the cabin, and the aileron balance control cable was separated in the right wing. Metallurgical examination of the separated cable ends determined both failed due to overstress. No electrical power was on the aileron servo, and the capstan rotated freely. The right wing exhibited skin and rib tearing around the aileron balance cable from the wing walk area outboard to the separation point, with tearing and skin protrusion in an outboard direction. Engine examination revealed no pre-mishap anomalies.
Additional Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land rating; his last FAA third-class medical was issued March 6, 2015, and he reported 420 total flight hours. The pilot-rated passenger held private pilot certificates for single-engine land, single-engine sea, and multiengine airplane; his last FAA second-class medical was issued January 8, 2015, with 2,500 total flight hours. He performed the last annual inspection on April 21, 2016, at 5,886.0 hours, noting the flight control system was in “good condition.” The aircraft flew about 23 hours after that inspection. Weather reported at Ormond Beach Municipal Airport (OMN), about 5 miles southeast, was wind from 030° at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 3,200 feet, overcast at 7,000 feet, temperature 22°C, dew point 17°C, and altimeter 30.02 inches Hg.