Accident Overview
On May 13, 2010, a Venture Air Beech 95-55 (registration C-FBJA) departed Thicket Portage, Manitoba, on a day visual flight rules flight to Thompson, Manitoba. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported an electrical problem and loss of radio and transponder. The aircraft crashed about 3 nautical miles east of Pikwitonei, about 25 nautical miles northeast of Thicket Portage. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed on impact with trees and terrain; there was no post-crash fire.
Pilot Background
The pilot held a commercial pilot license valid for single- and multi-engine land aircraft. After obtaining the license in 2002, the pilot flew minimally until being employed by Venture Air in 2010. In the 12 months prior to training on the Beech 95-55, the pilot had flown a total of 2.3 hours. A pilot proficiency check was completed on the accident aircraft on April 13, 2010. At the time of the accident, the pilot's total flying time was approximately 277 hours, including 45 hours on multi-engine aircraft and about 12 hours on type (5 hours in the accident aircraft).
History of the Flight
On the morning of the accident, the pilot flew a return flight from Thompson to South Indian Lake, then from Thompson to Thicket Portage with two passengers. For the return flight to Thompson, only the pilot was on board. At Thicket Portage, the engines were shut down and restarted. During the before-takeoff check, the pilot did not set the air-driven directional gyro. Fuel selectors were left on main tanks.
At 0926, the aircraft took off from Runway 29. Almost immediately, radio, GPS, and transponder were lost. A visual check using a mirror showed the landing gear was only partially retracted. At 0929, the pilot contacted Winnipeg Flight Information Centre by cell phone, reporting the electrical problem and estimating arrival at Thompson in 12 minutes, without radios or transponder. The landing gear issue was not mentioned.
After departure, the electrically-powered HSI was not functioning. The pilot became disoriented and attempted to use the standby compass with difficulty. When an electrical odor and smoke appeared in the cockpit, the pilot turned off all electrical switches. Identifying railroad tracks to Pikwitonei, the pilot decided to follow them. The battery master was turned on, generators off, and landing gear selected down. The gear extended, but no green light was observed.
Final Approach and Crash
Just before reaching Pikwitonei, the generators were turned on, showing high left ammeter and lower right ammeter readings. The avionics master was selected on. The pilot decided to land at Pikwitonei due to smoke, unaware of a NOTAM requiring 10-minute notice to clear the runway. A 6-mile downwind was flown for a straight-in approach. During a base turn, the right engine lost power. The pilot selected the right auxiliary fuel tank. While troubleshooting, the left engine also lost power. Neither engine was feathered. The aircraft entered a right turn and disappeared from radar at 0946, about 3 to 4 miles east of Pikwitonei.
The aircraft crashed on a northwesterly heading in wooded terrain. The impact was severe; the pilot lost consciousness briefly but sustained only minor injuries. Upon regaining consciousness, the pilot saw fuel leaking from the fractured right wing and evacuated the aircraft. After retrieving a personal tracking device, the pilot activated it at 1012. The ELT signal was picked up at 1057. A search and rescue helicopter transported the pilot to Thompson hospital.
Wreckage Examination
Examination revealed the aircraft struck the ground in a steep left-wing-low attitude and rolled inverted. Both wings were broken outboard of the nacelles; the tail separated; engines were torn from mounts. Propellers were in fine pitch with no signs of high rotation. All three landing gear were extended, but locked status could not be determined. Flaps were retracted. No electrical burning odors or circuit breaker anomalies were found. Fuel caps were secure; no fuel odor was detected. Main fuel filters were clean. Only residual fuel remained in lines. The ELT was intact; batteries showed no signs of overheating.