What happened
On November 13, 2021, a Britten-Norman BN-2A, registration N866JA, was operating as a Part 135 air taxi flight from Charlevoix Municipal Airport (CVX) to Welke Airport (6Y8) near Beaver Island, Michigan. The flight departed Charlevoix at 13:32 EST, maintaining an altitude of approximately 1,500 feet MSL.
As the aircraft approached runway 35 at Welke Airport, it began a descent for a straight-in approach. Data from a handheld GPS and ADS-B tracking indicated that the aircraft's airspeed decreased significantly during the final stages of the approach. At 1,200 feet from the runway threshold, the airspeed was 58 knots; at 600 feet, it had dropped to 54 knots. The final recorded airspeed at the time of impact was 33 knots.
A witness, the operator's chief pilot, observed the aircraft flying at a very low speed in a near-stall position with a nose-high attitude and no apparent power. The aircraft failed to recover from this attitude, stalled, and impacted the ground approximately 110 feet east of the extended centerline of runway 35 and 320 feet south of the threshold.
The accident resulted in 4 fatal injuries and 1 serious injury.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and found the fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage. The aircraft's engines, propellers, and flight controls were inspected, and continuity was established from the cockpit to the control surfaces and engines, aside from cuts made by first responders during occupant extraction. The wing flaps were found in the extended position.
Mechanical examination of the airframe, engines, and systems revealed no preimpact malfunctions or failures. The aircraft's weight of 5,903 lbs and center of gravity were within the manufacturer's prescribed limits. GPS data confirmed the aircraft's speed was at or near the published stall speed for its loading condition.