On May 15, 2024, a Beech V35TC bearing registration N47WT was involved in an accident near Franklin, Tennessee, resulting in 3 fatal injuries. The aircraft was being operated under Part 91 for personal use, traveling from Louisiana Regional Airport to Bowman Field Airport.
What happened
The flight began at approximately 0850 from Gonzales, Louisiana. During the flight, the pilot climbed to 9,000 feet MSL and later descended to 7,000 feet MSL while near the Mississippi border. While communicating with Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), the pilot requested a deviation and a higher altitude, both of which were approved. The pilot's final transmission occurred after acknowledging an instruction to maintain 9,000 feet MSL and receiving a new altimeter setting.
As the aircraft established on a 360-degree track, it entered an area of moderate to heavy precipitation. ADS-B data indicated that the aircraft initially descended to 8,900 feet before performing a right turn to the northeast. This was followed by a right descending turn to a track of 213 degrees. During this phase, the groundspeed increased from 180 knots to 214 knots, and the vertical speed reached a descent rate of 4,000 feet per minute. Following a period of lost radar contact, the aircraft's groundspeed dropped to 43 knots as the descent rate accelerated to more than 15,000 feet per minute.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud "pop" during the descent, and video footage captured aircraft debris falling through the clouds. The wreckage was spread over a radius of more than half a mile. The engine and propeller assembly were recovered from a lake where they had submerged in 8 feet of water.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage revealed significant structural failures. The left wing separated from the fuselage at the root; the forward mounting bolt had fractured and pulled through the spar attach fitting, while the aft two mounting bolts also pulled through the fittings. The left wing main spar showed signs of bending overload in a downward direction.
On the right wing, the rear spar had separated from its attach point, and the rear upper wing fitting was fractured. The stabilator spars exhibited symmetrical deformation, with the spars bent aft and twisted leading edge down, consistent with a downward failure.
Regarding the engine, the propeller blades remained attached to the hub. Two blades showed chordwise scraping and gouges and were missing 3 inches of their tips, while the third blade was bent forward mid-span by approximately 50 degrees. The engine case sustained a 12-inch by 3-inch impact hole, and several components, including the alternator, starter, and magnetos, were separated by the impact.