History of Flight
On March 24, 2017, about 1520 central daylight time, a Beechcraft V35B airplane, N2053Y, impacted terrain near Union City, Oklahoma. The pilot was fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to JE Aviation LLC, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and operated by a private individual under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the airplane was not on a flight plan. The local flight originated from Chickasha Municipal Airport (KCHK), Chickasha, Oklahoma.
A review of radar data revealed that the flight departed KCHK at about 1510. After departure, the airplane turned to a northerly heading and climbed to 5,500 ft. The radar tracked the airplane northward before the airplane slowed and disappeared. The last radar point at 1519 recorded the airplane at 73 knots and 5,250 ft in the vicinity of the accident site. The pilot was not in contact with air traffic control and was not required to be.
A witness reported hearing the airplane and then seeing it descending in a "spin"; the airplane disappeared behind a tree line and a fire erupted. Another witness described the engine sound as "cutting in and out," then heard the crash and saw smoke and fire.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His third-class medical certificate was issued on October 20, 2015, with the limitation: "must wear corrective lenses." A review of the pilot's logbook showed a total flight time of 286.5 hours, with 19.3 hours in the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The Beechcraft V35B is a 4-place, low-wing, single-engine airplane with retractable landing gear. It was powered by a 300-horsepower, 6-cylinder, reciprocating Continental IO-550 engine driving a constant-speed propeller. The normally aspirated engine was modified with a turbocharger, and two 20-gallon wing tip fuel tanks were added, approved under supplemental type certificates. The most recent annual inspection occurred on January 16, 2017, at a total airframe time of 5,074.5 hours. JE Aviation LLC purchased the airplane on March 2, 2017.
Meteorological Information
At 1535, weather at KCHK (18 miles south of the accident site) recorded wind 220° at 22 knots gusting to 29 knots, 10 miles visibility, clear sky, temperature 77°F, dew point 36°F, and an altimeter setting of 29.69 inches of mercury. Astronomical data showed sunrise at 0704 and sunset at 1947.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted an open field in a rural, lightly wooded area. A postcrash fire consumed most of the airplane and ignited a brush/grass fire that also consumed small buildings near a residence.
On-site examination revealed an absence of a wreckage path and small ground craters near the engine and right-wing tip. Damage to the nose, wings, and the flat position of the wreckage, along with ground scars, were consistent with impact in a slightly right-wing-down, nose-low attitude with little forward velocity. The fuselage and wings were largely consumed by fire, leaving heavier structures and outlines. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the control column to both aileron bellcranks, and ruddervator cables were traced to the control column and rudder pedals. Landing gear were down and locked. The instrument panel and avionics were destroyed.
The wreckage was recovered and transported to a salvage facility, where a detailed engine examination was conducted on April 20, 2017. The engine had extensive fire and impact damage; the propeller remained attached. Initially, the engine would not rotate by hand, but with an extension a "pop" was heard and it rotated with difficulty. Disassembly revealed a broken camshaft just before the camshaft gear. No preimpact abnormalities were noted with the crankshaft or valve train. Magneto fire damage prevented testing. Fuel system components had fire or impact damage. The turbocharger was partially melted. Spark plugs exhibited light colored deposits and normal electrode signatures. Overall, no pre-impact abnormalities were identified.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death as "multiple blunt force injuries and thermal injury." Toxicological testing by the FAA was negative for ethanol and positive for naproxen (an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory) and sertraline (an antidepressant, marketed as Zoloft). Desmethylsertraline, a metabolite of sertraline, was also present. While sertraline is not generally considered impairing, the underlying depression can affect cognition and judgment; depression is a disqualifying condition for FAA medical certification, but medical certificates may be issued if depression is in remission for at least 6 months. Personal medical records were not obtained, so the status of the pilot's psychiatric illness at the time of the accident is unknown.