History of Flight
On May 17, 2023, about 1237 central daylight time, a Beech E-90 airplane, registration N522MJ, was destroyed in an accident near Winslow, Arkansas. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Before the flight, the pilot contacted an avionics repair facility at Drake Field Airport (FYV), Fayetteville, Arkansas, to discuss autopilot issues. He reported that when engaged in heading hold mode, the autopilot would roll the airplane into a steep left bank. After ground checks showed no discrepancies, the technician recommended a maintenance flight in visual meteorological conditions. The pilot reported that during the test flight, the airplane still entered a left roll, and he disengaged the autopilot once a 40° bank was reached. The technician advised the pilot not to use the autopilot and to bring the airplane in for service.
On the morning of the accident, the pilot called the avionics technician, mentioning possible weather delays. The technician stressed there was no urgency and advised waiting for good weather. The pilot had a function to attend back home that evening.
According to ADS-B data and air traffic control communications, the flight originated from University-Oxford Airport (UOX), Oxford, Mississippi, about 1127, heading direct to FYV. The airplane climbed to 16,000 ft mean sea level (msl) and remained there until 1221, when a descent began, continuing to 8,000 ft msl. About 1227, the pilot contacted Razorback Approach Control, reporting at 8,000 ft msl. The controller instructed the pilot to fly direct to WAYTUG for the LDA runway 34 approach to FYV and to descend to 5,000 ft msl. The pilot could not locate WAYTUG on his approach chart. After clarification, the controller cleared the pilot for the RNAV runway 34 approach, instructing him to cross VIXMU at 4,500 ft msl. The airplane turned left, descended to about 6,100 ft msl, then turned right before reaching VIXMU, and then slightly left, placing it on a 45° intercept for the approach segment between VIXMU and OPVIE.
The airplane descended to about 3,525 ft msl. The controller issued a low altitude alert, and the pilot acknowledged, climbing back to 3,950 ft msl. After reaching that altitude, the airplane entered a right turn, presumably to intercept the inbound course, but continued in the turn and entered a steep descent. The final ADS-B data point, about 0.1 miles from the accident site, was at 1236:26 with an altitude of 2,900 ft msl. The calculated descent rate between the final two data points exceeded 15,000 feet per minute.
Personnel Information
The pilot's flight logbook was not available. He reported 4,836 hours total flight experience as of his most recent medical examination on November 7, 2022. An insurance form indicated 4,802 total hours and 653 hours in multiengine airplanes as of November 9, 2021. He received a proficiency evaluation in the accident airplane on May 20, 2021, and a BE-300 proficiency evaluation on June 10, 2022.
Meteorological Information
The latest weather report at FYV included an overcast ceiling at 1,800 ft above ground (3,037 ft msl). During cruise at 16,000 ft msl, the airplane was above clouds. During descent, it encountered few clouds around 9,000 ft msl and reached the overcast layer about 8,300 ft msl. ADS-B data indicates the airplane remained in clouds until the steep descending right turn at the end of the flight.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted wooded terrain, descending through an opening in the tree canopy. The damage to trees, impact signatures, and airplane damage were consistent with a near vertical descent and impact. Both engines and propellers were embedded in the terrain, and the entire airplane was fragmented. All major airframe and flight control surfaces were identified in the immediate vicinity. Post-removal examination was limited due to damage, but all major airframe components and flight control surface portions were identified. Control system breaks showed overload failure signatures consistent with impact. Engine and propeller examination indicated power production at impact.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Arkansas State Medical Examiner performed an autopsy. According to the report, the pilot's cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries, and the manner of death was accident. The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory conducted toxicology testing. Ethanol was detected in liver (0.028 g/hg) and muscle (0.035 g/hg) tissues. Tadalafil, salicylic acid, famotidine, atenolol, and irbesartan were also detected. Ethanol can result from consumption or postmortem production. Tadalafil is a prescription medication; the remaining medications were acceptable for use by pilots and not impairing.