History of Flight
On May 19, 2019, about 1508 mountain daylight time, a Beech C35, N1888D, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Melba, Idaho. The airline transport pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
A pilot-rated witness reported that the accident pilot departed from runway 30 and turned onto the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, where the pilot performed a barrel roll to the right. The witness saw the airplane climb to 500 ft above ground level over the canyon north of the airport and proceed in that direction. After about 15 minutes, the witness noticed the airplane approach the airport from the north at normal pattern altitude and subsequently land on runway 30. After landing, the pilot taxied to runway 30 and commenced a takeoff. The airplane accelerated, lifted off, and the nose remained low as the airplane accelerated, remaining about 50 ft above the ground. The pilot retracted the landing gear, and shortly thereafter, the airplane entered a climb and a right aileron roll at the end of the runway. When the airplane rolled through about 135°, it stopped rolling, then nosed down behind a tree line at an approximate 45° angle. The witness stated that he did not observe the impact, and that the engine continued to run after impact, although this sound could have been reflected off the canyon wall.
Personnel Information
The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land, commercial privileges for airplane single-engine land and single-engine sea, and a flight instructor certificate for airplane single-engine, multiengine and instrument airplane. The pilot also held a flight engineer certificate for reciprocating engine powered aircraft. The pilot's most recent third-class medical certificate was issued July 28, 2011, with a limitation for corrective lenses. On the application, the pilot reported 20,000 hours total flight experience, with 0 hours flown in the previous six months. The medical certificate expired for all classes on July 31, 2013. The pilot completed the requirements for BasicMed certification on November 9, 2018. The pilot's logbook was not available for review.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a four-place, all-metal, low-wing, single-engine monoplane equipped with retractable tricycle landing gear, powered by a Continental Motors E-225 engine rated at 225 horsepower at 2,650 rpm. The airplane's maintenance records were not located. According to the Pilot Operating Handbook, the airplane was not approved for aerobatic flight.
Meteorological Information
About 1456, the weather reporting station at Caldwell Industrial Airport (EUL), about 14 nautical miles north-northeast of the accident site, reported calm wind, 10 miles visibility, light rain, broken clouds at 1,100 ft agl, overcast clouds at 4,600 ft agl, temperature 12°C, dew point 10°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.59 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted terrain about 1,045 ft from the end of the runway, aligned with the runway extended centerline. Following initial impact, the airplane rotated clockwise about 180° as it slid about 90 ft, coming to rest upright on a magnetic heading of about 130°, about 72 ft north of the runway extended centerline. The cabin and cockpit areas were consumed by postcrash fire. The left wing remained attached, with soot on the top inboard 3 ft. The right wing was destroyed by impact, separating from the forward wing root attach point but remaining attached at the aft point. The empennage and control surfaces were undamaged. Control continuity was established from all control surfaces to the cockpit control yoke. The landing gear was retracted and sustained substantial damage. The engine separated from its mount; examination revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The propeller flange remained attached; one blade was attached and twisted forward, the other blade missing, later found about 220 ft away.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Owyhee County Coroner’s Office performed an autopsy. The cause of death was severe blunt force trauma. Postmortem toxicological testing by the coroner and FAA detected ethanol in cavity blood at 0.164 gm/dL (coroner) and 0.168 gm/dL (FAA), and in liver and brain tissue. Antidepressants duloxetine and trazodone (and its metabolite mCPP) were detected in blood and tissues. Ethanol impairs judgment and psychomotor functioning; 14 CFR Part 91.17(a) prohibits acting as a crewmember with 0.040 gm/dL or more ethanol in the blood. Duloxetine and trazodone carry warnings about impairing ability to perform hazardous tasks.
The pilot's medical certificate had expired, and BasicMed certification was completed about six months before the accident.