Accident Details
On May 15, 2024, at 1202 central daylight time, a Beech V35-TC, registration N47WT, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Franklin, Tennessee. The private pilot and the two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Flight History
The pilot departed from Louisiana Regional Airport (REG) in Gonzales, Louisiana, at about 0850 on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The destination was Bowman Field Airport (LOU) in Louisville, Kentucky, to pick up an additional passenger before returning to REG. The planned flight was about 550 nautical miles.
Preliminary Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showed that about 15 minutes into the flight, the pilot climbed to 9,000 ft mean sea level (msl) and leveled off. The airplane tracked about 027° at 9,000 ft msl until near the Mississippi border, where the pilot descended to 7,000 ft msl and remained until approaching the Nashville International Airport (BNA) airspace. The pilot was in communication with Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) before entering BNA approach controller airspace.
Preliminary audio communications revealed that the pilot requested a deviation from the ARTCC controller, which was passed to the BNA approach controller before the communications transfer. The deviation was approved, but the reason was not mentioned by the pilot nor inquired by the controller. Additionally, the pilot requested a higher altitude, which was coordinated and approved.
During the climb to 9,000 ft msl, the pilot was instructed to fly a heading of 360° and expect “On course in about fifteen miles.” He was subsequently cleared direct to the EWO (New Hope, Kentucky) VORTAC, which he acknowledged. The airplane climbed to 9,500 ft msl before being instructed to maintain 9,000 ft msl. The controller again asked the pilot to descend to 9,000 ft msl and provided the current altimeter setting; this was acknowledged and was the last transmission from the flight.
Weather and Radar Data
Preliminary weather data showed that while established on the 360° track, the airplane entered an area with depicted moderate to heavy precipitation. The airplane momentarily descended to 8,900 ft, then made a right turn to the northeast for several miles before initiating a right descending turn to a track of 213°. Groundspeed increased from 180 kts to 214 kts, and vertical speed decreased to a 4,000 fpm descent. The controller made several attempts to contact the pilot, which went unanswered, and radar contact was lost shortly thereafter. ADS-B data for the final moments showed that as the airplane entered a 5,000 fpm rate of descent, groundspeed rapidly decreased to 43 kts, and vertical speed then reached a descent rate of more than 15,000 fpm.
Several witnesses reported hearing the airplane descend and a loud “pop.” One witness recorded a video depicting pieces of the airplane descending through an overcast layer of clouds.
Wreckage Examination
The wreckage was scattered along a fan-like pattern oriented on a 262° magnetic heading, spread over a radius of more than ½-mile. The first pieces recovered were the separated elevator-rudders (ruddervators) at an elevation of 909 ft. Both wings separated from the fuselage and were found about 2,000 ft further west, followed by main fuselage fragments, seats, and instrument panel. The engine and propeller assembly were the final pieces discovered at the end of the wreckage path, submerged in 8 ft of water in a lake. About 90% of the airplane was recovered.
The left wing separated from the fuselage at the root and was largely intact. Fuel with the blue color and smell of aviation gasoline spilled from the main fuel tank at the wing root. The left wingtip fuel tank was intact and contained no fuel. The top forward wing mounting bolt fractured and pulled through the wing spar attach fitting. The aft two mounting bolts pulled through both wing spar attach fittings. The left wing main spar showed signatures consistent with bending overload separation in the downward (negative) direction.
The right wing also separated from the fuselage. The right wingtip fuel tank separated from the wing and was split open. The wing forward spar attach point was intact and remained connected to the center section. The right wing rear spar was separated at the attach point. The rear center section separated from the fuselage. The right rear upper attach bolt was intact and retained in the center section bathtub fitting. The right rear upper wing fitting was fractured and pulled from the wing structure. The rear lower attach bolt was intact and retained in the rear lower wing fitting. The right wing contained a weather radar pod and hardware that separated during impact; the radar’s cockpit display was not installed, and the system’s circuit breakers were in a tripped/deactivated position.
The stabilator spars exhibited symmetrical deformation, bent aft and twisted leading edge down. Fracture surfaces had slant angles. The right stabilizer was separated with more than half of the right ruddervator attached; the ruddervator trailing edge was separated and skins splayed open. Only a portion of the left inboard ruddervator was recovered. Stabilator spar deformation on both sides was consistent with downward failure.
Engine Examination
All three propeller blades remained attached to the hub and engine at the propeller flange. Two blades had chordwise scraping and gouges on the upper camber and were missing 3 inches of their tips. The third blade was bent forward mid-span about 50°.
The top and left side of the engine were severely impact damaged, with all cylinders exhibiting fin damage and a 12-inch by 3-inch impact hole in the crown of the engine case. The alternator, starter, and both magnetos were separated by impact and not recovered. Rocker covers for cylinders 2, 4, 5, and 6 were missing due to impact damage. Cylinders 1, 3, and 5 had impact damage to sparkplugs, making them unable to be removed. Cylinders 2, 4, and 6 were examined with a borescope and exhibited normal wear and operational signatures. The interiors of cylinders 1, 3, and 5 could not be examined due to mud/silt from immersion.
Pilot Information
The pilot had purchased the airplane in December 2023. A review of his pilot log revealed he had accumulated 366 total hours of flight experience and had 14 hours in the accident airplane make and model.
According to the Beechcraft V35TC Bonanza Pilot’s Operating Manual, Section V, Limitations, the never exceed (Vne) speed was 225 mph/195 kts, and the maximum design maneuvering speed was 152 mph/132 kts.