History of Flight
On November 13, 2021, at 1349 eastern standard time, a Britten Norman BN-2A airplane, registration N866JA, was substantially damaged when it crashed near Beaver Island, Michigan. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured, and one passenger received serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 air taxi flight.
ADS-B data indicated that the airplane departed Charlevoix Municipal Airport (CVX), Charlevoix, Michigan, at 1332. After departure, the airplane turned north and proceeded directly toward Welke Airport (6Y8), Beaver Island. The enroute portion of the flight was conducted about 1,500 ft above mean sea level until about 3 nautical miles from 6Y8, at which point the airplane descended and maneuvered toward a straight-in approach to runway 35. ADS-B data ended about 0.24 nm south of the accident site. A handheld GPS in the airplane recorded additional data ending at the accident site.
Calculated airspeed, derived from GPS groundspeed and recorded winds at Beaver Island Airport (SJX), showed that when 1,200 ft from the runway threshold, airspeed was 58 knots; at 600 ft, 54 knots; and at the final recorded data point coinciding with the wreckage, 33 knots.
The chief pilot for the operator witnessed the accident. He reported hearing the pilot announce being at “Sand Bay,” a reporting point about 5 minutes from the airport. He left his house adjacent to the airport and observed the airplane flying very slowly in a near-stall attitude, nose-up with no power. He noted the airplane was “wallowing” and did not recover from the nose-high attitude; it stalled and impacted the ground about 100 ft from the runway.
Personnel Information
The pilot had accumulated 2,949 hours of total flight experience, with 136 hours in the accident airplane make and model. Hired on March 20, 2021, the pilot completed company indoctrination, aircraft ground training, emergency training, crew resource management, special subjects, flight training, and differences training between March 21 and July 13, 2021. He passed the airman competency/proficiency check on July 21, 2021. His last duty day before the accident was November 1, 2021, on which he was on duty for about 9.3 hours, logged 5.5 flight hours, and completed 17 landings.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted the ground about 110 ft east of the extended centerline of runway 35 and 320 ft south of the runway threshold. The turf runway was 3,500 ft long with a displaced threshold. Impact signatures indicated a left-wing-low, nose-low attitude. The front of the fuselage was crushed upward and aft. All major components were present at the site. Flight control continuity was established except for cuts by first responders for extraction. Engine control continuity was similarly established. Wing flaps were found extended. Examination of the airframe, engines, and propellers revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.
Additional Information
The airplane was a twin-engine, high-wing, strut-braced monoplane with fixed tricycle landing gear, configured to accommodate 10 people. The load manifest indicated a weight of 5,903 lbs and a center of gravity at 25.3 inches aft of the datum, within manufacturer limits. All passengers and baggage were weighed before flight. According to the airplane flight manual, at 6,000 lbs with flaps down, the stall speed was 42 knots.