Flight History
On November 3, 2022, about 1009 eastern daylight time, a Beech A36 airplane, registration N84R, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near the Tucker-Guthrie Memorial Airport (I35) in Harlan, Kentucky. The private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight.
The airplane departed Knoxville Downtown Island Airport (DKX) at 0932. No flight plan or weather briefing was filed, and no communication with air traffic control occurred. ADS-B data indicated the pilot had entered a route into the Foreflight application at 0929, and the flight track was consistent with that route. However, the ADS-B altitude data was erroneous.
Review of archived audio from the I35 common traffic advisory frequency captured the pilot's transmission: “Harlan Tucker Guthrie bonanza 84 romeo is two and a half to the west will circle for landing Harlan Tucker Guthrie.” No further radio communications were recorded.
The flight track showed the airplane executed multiple approaches and maneuvers. It made three passes over runway 8, each followed by left 180° teardrop turns. The first pass over runway 8 occurred at 0958, the second at 1002, and the third and final approach began about 1005. At 1009:54, the last ADS-B position was recorded 0.1 nautical mile from the runway 8 threshold. The airplane then impacted a ravine and steep rock wall about 50 ft below runway elevation and 375 ft from the threshold.
Weather and Witness Information
At the time of the accident, I35 was experiencing low instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions. A METAR at 1015 reported visibility less than 1/4 statute mile and an overcast ceiling at 200 ft agl. Visibility estimates from surveillance video were about 175 ft due to fog and low clouds. Conditions persisted from 0815 to 1055, then improved to VFR about one hour after the accident.
A pilot-rated witness at the terminal heard the accident airplane complete two approaches to runway 8 but did not see it due to fog. The first approach sounded high, the second “really low.” The engine sound was steady with no power changes. After the second pass, the sound faded, and the witness did not hear the impact.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate. His most recent flight review and instrument proficiency check was completed on March 30, 2021. In the six months prior to the accident, he logged only three instrument approaches, failing to meet the instrument currency requirement of six approaches per 14 CFR 61.57(c). His last logged flight was on October 28, 2022.
Records from August 1 to November 1, 2022, showed the pilot had completed over 35 flights between airports in Tennessee and Kentucky, with at least 15 landings at I35 in the preceding three months. On several previous flights to I35 during IFR conditions, he performed approaches that were not consistent with the published GPS-A instrument approach procedure, including circling maneuvers similar to those on the accident flight.
Wreckage Examination
All major airplane components were located. A post-impact fire consumed most of the cockpit, fuselage, and portions of the left wing. Flight control cable continuity was established from the elevator, rudder, and elevator trim tabs to the forward cabin. Aileron cables were separated in tensile overload. The positions of flaps, landing gear, and fuel selector could not be determined due to impact and fire damage.
The engine had separated from its mount and airframe, with a large fracture hole in the crankcase consistent with impact. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were found in the engine or airframe. The vacuum pump appeared normal. One propeller blade exhibited tip curling and leading edge gouging.
Instrument readings could not be obtained due to severe fire damage. The attitude indicator's gyro showed rotational scoring.
Medical Findings
An autopsy determined the cause of death as extensive blunt force injuries and thermal burns. Toxicology testing by the FAA detected methamphetamine (40 ng/g in brain tissue), phentermine, chlorpheniramine, and dextromethorphan in various tissues. No blood was available. The FAA does not permit medical certification for pilots using methamphetamine or phentermine.