History of Flight
On March 28, 2017, at about 1200 central daylight time, a Beech A36, N8169Y, was destroyed by impact and postcrash fire following a forced landing near Dadeville, Alabama. The commercial pilot and a passenger were fatally injured. The flight was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, with an instrument flight rules flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight departed Enterprise Municipal Airport (EDN), Enterprise, Alabama, at 1118, destined for Upper Cumberland Regional Airport (SRB), Sparta, Tennessee.
According to air traffic control and radar data, the airplane was cruising at about 5,000 ft mean sea level. At 1155:06, the pilot was instructed to switch from Atlanta Approach to Atlanta Center. At 1156:00, the airplane began descending. At 1157:07, the controller noted that the pilot had not contacted Atlanta Center and that the airplane had descended nearly 1,000 ft below its assigned altitude. At 1157:11, at 4,025 ft, the pilot declared an emergency, stating it appeared to be an engine failure. The airplane continued north before turning west as the controller suggested potential landing sites, which the pilot acknowledged. At 1158:59, tracking westbound at 1,500 ft and 86 knots groundspeed, the pilot stated he was coming down and did not see a runway. No further communications were received. The last radar target at 1159:34 showed the airplane over wooded terrain at 874 ft and 77 knots groundspeed.
Personnel Information
The pilot held commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates with ratings for rotorcraft-helicopter and instrument helicopter, as well as a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument ratings. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued November 3, 2016, on which he declared 11,500 total flight hours. In July 2016, he stated to his insurance company that he had 11,000 total hours, with 1,000 hours in airplanes.
Aircraft Information
The six-seat, single-engine, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane was manufactured in 1977 and powered by a Continental Motors 300-horsepower reciprocating engine. Maintenance records from the preceding 10 years showed that the most recent annual inspection was completed on May 5, 2016, at 4,006.7 total aircraft hours. The previous annual inspection on May 5, 2015, at 3,993 total aircraft hours, included removal and reinstallation of the engine due to a propeller-strike event.
Meteorological Information
An automated weather observation at Thomas C. Russel Field (ALX), 14 miles northwest of the accident site, at 1155 reported scattered clouds at 2,500 ft, visibility 10 statute miles, wind from 270° at 6 knots, temperature 24°C, dew point 18°C, and altimeter setting 30.03 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was at about 650 ft elevation. All major components were accounted for. The wreckage path was about 140 ft long on a magnetic heading of approximately 320°. Initial impact was in trees about 30 ft above ground; tree trunks displayed both blunt and angular fractures. The main wreckage came to rest inverted and was consumed by postcrash fire. Control cable continuity was established from the cockpit to flight control surfaces. The flap actuator was in the retracted position, the elevator trim actuator at 10° tab-down, and the landing gear retracted. The fuel selector was set to the right-tank position. Engine examination showed all accessories destroyed by fire except the engine-driven fuel pump, which had an intact driveshaft that rotated freely; the fuel inlet screen was clear of debris. Spark plugs exhibited normal wear. The engine could not be rotated by hand. Subsequent disassembly under FAA supervision revealed extreme-to-minor thermal damage but no pre-impact mechanical anomalies; normal wear and lubrication were noted throughout.
Additional Information
An NTSB aircraft performance specialist analyzed ADS-B data and computed zero-thrust glide trajectories using best-glide data (110 KCAS) and a lower estimated speed (80 KCAS). The actual ground track showed that an abandoned airport (Camp Hill-Tallapoosa County) was about 1 mile east of the airplane at the time of power loss; this airport was not depicted on the current VFR sectional chart and was not visible to the controller. The ground track bisected U.S. Highway 280W, a four-lane divided highway with a grass median about 50 ft wide, and also crossed several open fields and a railroad track before ending over wooded terrain. Potential glide trajectories indicated that open fields were reachable from the assumed point of power loss.
Medical and Pathological Information
The pilot was transported to Atlanta, Georgia, for treatment of injuries to which he ultimately succumbed. No postmortem examination or toxicology testing was performed.