2022 Beech B35 Accident Near French Lick, Indiana (N8741A)

Accident Overview and Flight History On August 27, 2022, about 2058 eastern daylight time, a Beech B35, N8741A, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near French Lick, Indiana. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot departed Fischer's Airport (6LL6), New Memphis, Illinois, about 1950, and flew to French Lick Municipal Airport (FRH), French Lick, Indiana, his home airport. A review of radar data revealed that as the airplane approached FRH, it made a right turn flying south toward the departure end of runway 26 about 500 ft above the ground (agl), then turned right flying on the south side of runway 08/26 before crossing at midfield. The airplane then made a sweeping, descending left turn onto the final approach for runway 08. The radar data stopped when the airplane was about .2 miles from the end of the runway. At that time, the airplane was traveling about 86 knots at an altitude of about 33 ft agl. Airport surveillance captured the airplane touch down on runway 08 then depart the runway surface to the left before becoming airborne and impacting trees just outside of the perimeter fence. A large explosion was also observed.