Summary
On 16 June 2013, at 09:43 UTC, a Raytheon Aircraft Company Beech 58, registration G-CIZZ, collided with terrain on the eastern side of Monte Mindino near Garessio, Italy. The aircraft had departed from Albenga Airport (SV) at 09:34 UTC on a planned VFR flight to Troyes Barberey, France. Radio contact with Milano Flight Information Center was lost at 09:43, prompting a search. The wreckage was located by the Carabinieri. The pilot, the sole occupant, was found deceased.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft was a twin-engine, low-wing, retractable-gear Beech 58, serial number TH-2041, with a maximum takeoff mass of 5500 lbs (2494 kg). It was powered by two Continental IO-550-C engines. The operator was Bonanza Flying Club Ltd, UK. The aircraft was equipped for IFR operations and carried a Bendix King KMH-820 integrated system providing Traffic Awareness and Ground Proximity Warning, a multi-function display, a Terrain Awareness Annunciation Control Unit supporting TAWS and EGPWS, and a Sandel SN3500 EHSI. All documents were current; the last annual inspection was performed on 9 January 2013, with 19.5 flight hours since then.
The pilot was a 52-year-old British national holding a valid Private Pilot Licence (PPL(A)) with ratings for single-engine piston (SEP(land)), multi-engine piston with single-pilot (MEP/SP(land)), and instrument rating single-pilot multi-engine (IR-SP-ME), as well as a valid Class 2 medical certificate. His most recent proficiency check was on 21 August 2012. Total flight experience was approximately 1487 hours, including about 300 hours on the accident aircraft; he had flown 13 hours in the previous 90 days and 7.5 hours in the previous 30 days.
Flight and Accident Details
The flight was conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). At 09:43 UTC, radio communications with Milano FIC ceased. Attempts to re-establish contact were unsuccessful, and search procedures were activated. The wreckage was later found on Monte Mindino at an elevation of 1765 m, coordinates N 44° 14’ 15.1” E 07° 57’ 28.1”, just below the summit cross at 1879 m. The first point of impact was identified at 1764 m, coordinates N 44° 14’ 13.9” E 07° 57’ 30.3”. The main wreckage, including the fuselage, tail section, and left engine, was oriented approximately 015°. The left wingtip had struck a tree trunk, and the right wingtip had hit a rock. The terrain was steeply uphill with a left-side downslope relative to the aircraft's direction. The distance from the first impact point to the main wreckage was about 62 m on a heading of 315°. The landing gear was retracted at impact.
EGPWS Data
The aircraft's Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) was recovered and analyzed at Honeywell laboratories with assistance from the NTSB. During the previous flight, which concluded with an approach to Albenga, the system recorded multiple terrain cautions and warnings. The pilot deactivated the EGPWS before landing that flight. During the accident flight, the EGPWS recorded two internal alerts (a terrain caution at Time 1476:40:21 and a terrain warning at Time 1476:40:28) but these were not annunciated to the pilot because the system remained inhibited. The last recorded position, logged by the unit as a landing at Time 1476:41:05, indicated an elevation less than 50 ft above ground near the impact point. No anomalies were found in the EGPWS unit.
Wreckage Examination
The main wreckage consisted of the fuselage, tail, and left engine (missing two of three propeller blades). The left engine shaft rotated freely, indicating no internal seizure. The right wing and its engine were found about 20 m from the first impact point, and the left wing was about 29 m away. The altimeter recovered from the destroyed instrument panel was set to the QNH provided by Milano FIC. The wreckage distribution was consistent with initial impact by the left wingtip against a tree, followed by the right wingtip striking a rock, and the final impact of the main structure.
No probable cause was determined in the source material.