History of Flight
On May 25, 2018, about 1342 mountain daylight time, a Beech D17S airplane, N79091, impacted terrain near Santa Fe, New Mexico. The commercial pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to Mid Continent Instrument Company Inc. and operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight, which departed Perryton/Ochiltree County Airport (PYX), Perryton, Texas, about 1150, with the intended destination of Albuquerque International Sunport Airport (ABQ), Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The operator reported that the pilot departed Wichita, Kansas, earlier in the day and landed at PYX for fuel before continuing to ABQ for a planned overnight stop. Fueling documentation from PYX established that the pilot purchased 39.32 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation fuel at 1035. According to automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, the airplane appeared on radar at 1152:28 about 1.5 nautical miles southwest of PYX. The airplane climbed to a cruise altitude of 10,500 ft mean sea level (msl) while maintaining a direct course toward ABQ. The pilot subsequently requested visual flight rules (VFR) flight following with Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center. At 1305:41, the pilot reported level cruise flight at 10,500 ft msl, and the controller provided the local altimeter setting. No additional communications were received.
The airplane continued in cruise flight at 10,500 ft msl on a direct course to ABQ. At 1320:00, the airplane began shallow turns to the right and left, and its altitude fluctuated ±100 ft. At 1340:19, about 2.5 minutes before the accident, the airplane entered a descent from 10,500 ft msl and turned west-southwest. During the final 2 minutes, the average descent rate was 1,375 ft per minute, with ground speed between 99 and 121 knots. At 1342:50, the final ADS-B return was at 7,025 ft msl about 385 ft east-northeast of the accident site; ground speed was about 106 knots. At no point did the pilot declare an inflight emergency or report problems. The controller began attempts to contact the pilot at 1343:45 without success. An alert notice (ALNOT) was issued, and a United States Air Force search-and-rescue helicopter crew located the wreckage about midnight. There were no reported witnesses.
Personnel Information
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the 53-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on August 24, 2017, with a limitation for corrective lenses.
The pilot's flight experience was established using his logbook and an airplane utilization log found in the wreckage. The final logbook entry was dated April 22, 2018, showing 4,541 hours total flight experience, all in single-engine airplanes. He had flown 4,503.7 hours as pilot-in-command, 236.1 hours at night, 34.1 hours in actual instrument conditions, and 62.3 hours in simulated instrument conditions. According to the airplane utilization log, the pilot flew an additional 50.9 hours after the final logbook entry. He had 1,316.7 hours of experience in Beech D17S airplanes. His most recent flight review was completed on March 6, 2018, in a Cessna 172.
Aircraft Information
The airplane, serial number 1020, manufactured in 1942, was constructed of fabric-covered steel tube and wood. It was powered by a 450-horsepower, 9-cylinder, Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-14B reciprocating radial engine, serial number JP-215473, driving a constant-speed, two-blade, Hamilton Standard 2D30-6167A-15 propeller, serial number B3881. The four-seat airplane had retractable conventional landing gear, wing flaps, and a maximum allowable takeoff weight of 4,250 pounds. The last annual inspection was completed on December 31, 2017, at 4,828.7 total airframe hours, and the airplane had accumulated 131.4 hours since then. Total airframe and engine time at the accident was 4,960.1 hours. The engine had 851.1 hours since overhaul on April 24, 2014. A postaccident review of maintenance records found no history of unresolved airworthiness issues.
Meteorological Information
A postaccident review of available meteorological data established that day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. The nearest aviation weather reporting station was Moriarty Airport (0E0), Moriarty, New Mexico, about 28 miles southwest. At 1335, about 7 minutes before the accident, the automated surface observing system reported a clear sky, wind from 310° at 4 knots, 10 miles surface visibility, temperature 31°C, dew point -4°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.18 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
An onsite wreckage examination by FAA inspectors revealed that the airplane impacted several piñon trees before coming to rest in a nose-down attitude. The debris path was oriented on a 233° magnetic heading. The accident site elevation was about 7,082 ft msl. The recording hour meter indicated 1,351.1 hours. Both wings sustained impact damage; the left wing was heavily fragmented, and the right wing remained partially attached. The fuselage remained intact with relatively minor damage to the cabin and cockpit. The odor of 100 low-lead aviation fuel was present; fuel tanks were ruptured but residual fuel remained. The carburetor accelerator pump discharged fuel when the throttle arm was moved. The engine oil supply tank ruptured, coating the firewall, aft engine side, and portions of the windscreen.
The wreckage was recovered for detailed examination by NTSB investigators and the airframe manufacturer. Flight control cable continuity was established from control surfaces to cockpit controls through overload separations and cuts made during recovery. The flap actuator positions indicated flaps fully retracted at impact; landing gear was retracted. The cockpit fuel selector was positioned to draw fuel from the upper right fuel tank. Functional testing of the fuel selector valve with compressed air revealed no anomalies; the outflow fuel line contained residual fuel. The engine-driven fuel pump rotated by hand and discharged fluid with an odor consistent with 100 low-lead aviation fuel.
The engine crankshaft was rotated using the starter motor, confirming internal engine and valve train continuity. Compression and suction were noted on all cylinders except Nos. 5 and 6. The No. 5 cylinder had impact-related pushrod damage preventing normal valve movement. The No. 6 cylinder head separated from the barrel; several fragments, including intake and exhaust valves, were recovered along the debris path. Both magnetos produced spark. Spark plugs exhibited features consistent with normal operation. The No. 6 cylinder barrel was removed for internal inspection; ample engine oil was observed with no evidence of oil starvation. The propeller blades showed chordwise scratches and leading-edge damage; one blade had an S-shape bend, the other was bent aft midspan. Examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
The recovered portions of the No. 6 cylinder head, barrel, piston, pushrod, and manifold tubes were submitted to the NTSB Materials Laboratory. The head had separated from the barrel and fractured into multiple pieces with about 1/4 of the base missing. Fracture surfaces were rough without tinting or discoloration, consistent with overstress. Both intake and exhaust valves exhibited normal operation features. The cylinder barrel and piston showed no notable features; pushrod and manifold tubes had impact damage.
Two GoPro Hero6 cameras were recovered: one had significant damage and contained no memory card or battery; the second was undamaged with memory card and battery. The memory card contained 19 photos and 2 videos recorded during the flight. The first video (0.9 seconds) was recorded at 12:35:04; the second (5.9 seconds) at 12:53:52. Neither video contained pertinent details. The photos, recorded between 12:24:56 and 12:43:57, depicted the airplane's position from ABQ on a Garmin GTN750 display, showing distances of 227 nm and 184 nm, respectively. No additional footage was present.
An Apple iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S7, and Apple iPad were recovered. The iPhone 6 was protected by a 6-digit passcode, preventing access. The Samsung Galaxy S7 was not passcode protected but contained no pertinent details. The iPad had significant impact damage precluding examination.
Medical and Pathological Information
The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator performed an autopsy attributing the cause of death to multiple blunt-force injuries. Toxicology testing at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for ethanol, carbon monoxide, and all tested drugs and medications.