History of Flight
On February 16, 2017, about 1400 eastern standard time, a Beech C23, N24695, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain after takeoff from Barrow County Airport (WDR), Winder, Georgia. The flight instructor and student pilot were fatally injured. The airplane was privately owned and operated under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight.
Review of airport security camera video revealed that the flight instructor and student pilot walked to the airplane about 1317. There were no witnesses to the takeoff, nor was it captured by the airport security camera system.
About 1357, a pilot inbound to WDR while about 5 miles north of the airport heard a pilot transmit that they were departing Runway 31. The inbound pilot looked for the departing airplane but never saw it, then landed on Runway 31 and taxied to the ramp.
About 1400, a witness observed the accident airplane pass from left to right in front of her (from north to south) as she traveled east on Highway 82 near the northwest corner of the airport property. She reported that the airplane seemed to be flying low and fast and that, as it went over the highway, it began to nose down, then level out, then "tilt to the right about 1/4 or less." The witness then lost sight of the airplane due to trees. She thought she saw "a small puff of gray to the outside edge of the tree line" when she looked back, later realizing this may have been the trees moving as the airplane struck them. She had her radio on and did not hear any sounds from the airplane.
Personnel Information
Student Pilot
According to FAA and pilot records, the student pilot's most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on January 30, 2017. At the time of the accident, he had accrued about 8 hours of flight experience.
Flight Instructor
The flight instructor held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land and commercial privileges for airplane single-engine land, and a flight instructor certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued on September 12, 2016. On that application, he reported 1,650 total hours of flight experience, including 1,452 hours as pilot-in-command and 530 hours as a flight instructor.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1973 and had been modified with a Garmin GS-430 GPS/Nav/Comm, an S-TEC System 30 autopilot, an intercom system, a strobe tail anti-collision light, and a crankcase air/oil separator. On July 1, 1993, an FAA Form 337 indicated that the firewall bulkhead at Station 68 had been replaced.
The most recent annual inspection was completed on October 3, 2016. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accrued about 2,680 total hours of operation, and the engine had accrued about 682 hours since its last overhaul on January 2, 1998.
The airplane was purchased by the student pilot and a co-owner on January 7, 2017. The co-owner stated that after purchase, he, the student pilot, and the flight instructor flew the airplane from Picayune, Mississippi, to Winder, Georgia. He had flown it about 11 hours since purchase, with about 6 hours of dual instruction with the accident flight instructor. He stated the airplane had always performed well without any known mechanical defect. The airplane was last refueled with 40 gallons on January 14, 2017, and last operated before the accident on February 4, 2017, when the co-owner took a 1.6-hour local solo flight.
Meteorological Information
At 1345, the reported weather at WDR included wind from 320° at 8 knots gusting to 14 knots, temperature 14°C, dew point -9°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.95 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was about 500 ft west of the runway 13 threshold, adjacent to an airport access road, outside the airport security fence, within and along a tree line oriented on a 331°/151° magnetic heading. The wreckage path was about 65 ft long, running almost parallel within the tree line. The airplane struck trees while traveling on a magnetic heading about 146°. Propeller strike marks, cut limbs, and separated branches were observed.
When first responders arrived, they attempted to cut through the airport security fence with a rotary saw. During this attempt, fuel from the left fuel tank ignited, which they extinguished.
Examination revealed the airplane separated into several sections during impact. The left wing remained attached to the aft fuselage; the right wing was attached with the leading edge separated from the spar. The wreckage displayed crush, compression, fragmentation, and tearing damage, with a large depression in the forward cabin area matching a tree diameter.
The manual flap handle was in the retracted (0°) position, wing flaps retracted, magneto switch in "BOTH," landing light switch off, navigation lights on, rotating beacon/strobes set to rotating beacon on, pitot heat off, and autopilot off. The battery and alternator master switches were on, fuel boost off, fuel selector valve in "R TANK," throttle and mixture full forward, carburetor heat knob off. The airspeed indicator indicated 0 mph, attitude indicator about 45° left bank and 40° nose-down, altimeter about 740 ft msl, Kollsman window about 29.99 inHg, vertical speed about 100 ft/min descent, directional gyro about 126°. The pitot tube was clear.
Control continuity was established from ailerons, stabilator, and rudder to cockpit breaks. No evidence of inflight fire, explosion, or structural failure.
The propeller remained attached to the engine crankshaft flange. The engine, cowling, and firewall separated from the airframe and came to rest nose-down in the tree line. One blade bent aft about 90° with longitudinal twisting and S-bending; the other bent forward about 80° with trailing edge gouging, consistent with contacting the fence.
Engine drive train continuity was observed; compression and suction on all four cylinders; borescope exam showed no anomalies. The throttle arm was in full-throttle position, mixture arm in lean position, carburetor air box heat valve in intermediate position. No blockage in intake or exhaust. Carburetor had a small amount of liquid (aviation gasoline) with no water. Fuel pump drained liquid; both magnetos produced spark; sparkplugs undamaged except oily electrodes on No. 1 cylinder. Starter impact fractured; alternator, vacuum pump intact. Oil present; no debris in oil suction screen or filter.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation performed autopsies on both occupants; cause of death for each was multiple blunt force injuries. No natural disease was identified for the student; the brain could not be examined due to injury severity. FAA toxicology on the student was negative. For the flight instructor, toxicology identified amphetamine at 0.082 µg/ml in urine and 0.007 µg/ml in cavity blood. Amphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance used to treat attention deficit disorders and narcolepsy; levels below 0.2 µg/ml are consistent with medicinal use, but low postmortem levels do not distinguish medical from illicit use.
Additional Information
A review of maintenance records indicated the engine was last overhauled 19 years before the accident. Lycoming Service Instruction 1009AZ recommended overhaul by the twelfth year if not reaching hourly TBO.
The combined weight of the flight instructor and student pilot was 407 pounds. No ballast or tail weight kit was installed. Review of the Beechcraft Sundowner 180 C23 POH/AFM indicated that at the time of the accident, the airplane's center of gravity was forward of the manufacturer's specified forward limit.
The POH/AFM emphasized proper weight and balance computation and stated that a forward CG can require additional control movements and may cause difficulty during takeoff and landing due to elevator control limits.
According to the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, compliance with weight and balance limits is critical. A CG forward of limits can result in nose-heavy conditions, making it difficult to raise the nose, especially during takeoff and landing. In extreme cases, it may make flaring for landing difficult or impossible.
14 CFR Part 23 requires establishment of weight and CG ranges; 14 CFR Part 91 requires compliance with operating limits, including weight and balance.
The student pilot had about 8 hours of flight experience. The flight instructor had 530 hours of flight instruction experience.