What happened
On February 22, 2023, a Beech B200 airplane, registration N55PC, was involved in an accident near Little Rock, Arkansas. The flight was operating as a Part 91 business flight, transporting four passengers and a commercial pilot to Columbus, Ohio, to assist with emergency response efforts following an industrial explosion.
Prior to departure from Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT), the pilot acknowledged receiving weather information that included a low-level wind shear advisory. After receiving taxi instructions, the pilot requested and received takeoff clearance for Runway 18. Following takeoff, no further radio transmissions or distress calls were received from the crew.
Witnesses at the airport provided varying accounts of the departure. One observer noted the aircraft struggled to climb and entered a steep dive after the left wing dropped. Another pilot observed the aircraft enter a bank angle of approximately 90 degrees, describing a scenario consistent with a stall or spin. Surveillance footage confirmed the aircraft began a normal climb but then entered a sudden left roll and rapid descent. Shortly after the aircraft disappeared from view, a plume of smoke was observed approximately one mile south of the runway end.
The aircraft impacted the ground in a left-wing-low, nose-down attitude in heavily wooded terrain near a factory. The impact was followed by a fire that consumed much of the wreckage. The pilot and all four passengers sustained 5 fatal injuries.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and found that the flight control surfaces and airframe were intact, with no pre-impact anomalies identified. Both engines and propellers showed evidence of power production at the time of impact, as indicated by torsional damage to the engine cases and propeller shafts, as well as tree branches at the site that had been cut by propeller blade strikes.
A performance study using ADS-B data and mathematical modeling revealed that the aircraft's climb performance was significantly diminished during the accident takeoff compared to two previous departures from the same runway earlier that week. While the engines were rated for a total of 1700 horsepower, the study calculated that the actual power delivered during the accident climb dropped sharply, reaching less than 400 hp at one point.
Weather analysis showed that a line of extreme-intensity precipitation was approaching the airport, and wind shear alerts were active. Data from the Low-Level Windshear Alert System indicated wind shifts and significant changes in wind speed and direction in the area during the time of the accident.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a loss of control during the initial climb phase.
- The cause for the diminished climb performance could not be determined, as no mechanical or system anomalies were found.
- Sudden wind shifts in the area likely contributed to the accident.
- The pilot'1s autopsy identified severe coronary artery disease, but there was no evidence that a medical event contributed to the accident.