Accident Details
On November 15, 2024, at about 1000 mountain standard time, a Beech 35-B33, registration N285BW, was destroyed when it crashed in a farm field approximately 3.5 miles north-northwest of Nunn, Colorado. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The flight had departed from Chadron Municipal Airport (KCDR), Chadron, Nebraska, with an intended destination of Platte Valley Airport (18V), Hudson, Colorado, a distance of about 180 nautical miles. No ADS-B, radar data, or ATC communications were obtained during the on-site investigation. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed along the entire route of flight.
Aircraft and Wreckage
The accident site was located about 20 nautical miles west of the direct route between the departure and intended destination. The debris field measured roughly 500 feet long by 400 feet wide. The initial point of impact contained a fragment of the left wingtip fuel tank fairing. A line of disturbed dirt extended from the initial point of impact for about 25 feet to a 17-foot-long impact crater, and continued beyond the crater for another 10 to 15 feet.
Fragments of the outboard section of the left wing and other airplane components were strewn throughout the debris field leading to the main wreckage, which was located about 258 feet from the initial point of impact. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site. No anomalies were noted in the examined airframe components.
Engine and Propeller Examination
The No. 6 cylinder had separated from the engine. The interior of the No. 6 cylinder and the valve faces appeared normal. The No. 2 and No. 4 cylinders were displaced aft and had fractured the engine case open. Visual examination of the engine interior showed no signs of thermal distress; the camshaft appeared normal; and no signs of a pre-impact failure or malfunction were noted. The crankshaft counterweights were present and moved freely. The oil sump housing was fractured, with the front third having separated; no pre-impact anomalies were observed inside.
The propeller hub remained attached to the crankshaft flange but had fragmented. Pieces of the hub and both propeller blades were present in the debris field. The blades exhibited blade twisting, leading edge nicks and gouges, chord wise scratching, and blade polishing. Spiral cracking was noted on the engine crankshaft just aft of the propeller mounting flange.
A Garmin 396 was retained for further examination. The wreckage was scheduled to be recovered and stored for further examination.