History of Flight
On June 28, 2019, about 1715 central daylight time, a Beechcraft BE-58 airplane, registration N4614S, impacted terrain while approaching Hiawatha Municipal Airport (K87) in Hiawatha, Kansas. The pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The aircraft was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 cross-country personal flight from Augusta Municipal Airport (3AU), Augusta, Kansas.
The pilot was not in contact with air traffic control during the flight. Radar data showed the airplane proceeded northeast from Augusta toward Hiawatha, but the flight track terminated about 3/4 mile northeast of K87, and the final minutes of flight were not captured.
Witness Report
A witness observed the airplane approaching from the south, then flying north-northeast as if to enter the traffic pattern. The airplane appeared to climb and then initiated a left turn. Shortly after the turn began, the aircraft flipped inverted, its nose dropped, and it descended out of view behind terrain. The witness saw smoke and contacted emergency services.
Pilot Information
The pilot's most recent medical certificate was issued on March 9, 2017, with no limitations. The second-class medical certificate expired on March 31, 2019, but the pilot had completed the BasicMed flight medical requirements. The BasicMed course was completed on April 16, 2019, and the Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist (CMEC) was signed on April 12, 2019.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage came to rest in a cornfield approximately 1 mile northeast of K87. The airplane struck the ground on its bottom fuselage and came to rest upright on a heading of 171°. A post-crash fire consumed most of the cabin and the inboard sections of the wings. All major components were accounted for within a confined area.
Flight control continuity could not be fully verified through the center fuselage due to fire damage, but connections at each flight control surface were confirmed. The cockpit and instrument panel sustained impact and fire damage. The landing gear handle was in the down position, consistent with landing gear extension, and the landing gear actuator confirmed the gear was down. The right flap actuator was partially extended, corresponding to a flap setting of approximately 15°.
Both engines remained attached to the airframe with impact and fire damage. The right propeller separated from the crankshaft flange and lay under the airplane; the left propeller remained attached. Neither propeller was in a feathered position.
Rotating both engines by hand produced thumb compression and suction on all cylinders. Valve train continuity was observed. The left magneto on the left engine sparked; the right magneto on that engine was fire-damaged and would not rotate. The left magneto on the right engine sparked; the right magneto on that engine was fire-damaged but sparks were observed at the points. Fuel system components—manifold, pump, nozzles, and screen—showed no pre-impact abnormalities. Spark plugs from both engines exhibited normal combustion and wear patterns.
The examinations were limited by thermal and impact damage, but no pre-impact abnormalities were found that would have precluded normal operations.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by the Frontier Forensics Midwest Morgue under the authority of the Brown County Coroner's Office determined the cause of death as blunt traumatic injuries and severe burns. The FAA's Forensic Sciences Laboratory conducted toxicological testing; specimens were not tested for cyanide, and results were negative for ethanol and tested drugs.