What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, a flight operated by Roadside Ventures, LLC departed St Lucie County International Airport in Fort Pierce, Florida, destined for Junction City, Kansas. The flight was conducted under instrument flight rules (IFR) in conditions involving instrument meteorological requirements. While climbing and proceeding in a west-northwesterly direction, the pilot was in communication with the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center regarding weather avoidance due to a large area of precipitation ahead.
At approximately 12:33:30, while the aircraft was at flight level 252, the autopilot disengaged. Following this event, radar data indicated the aircraft entered a descending turn. The bank angle increased significantly, reaching approximately 100 degrees, as the aircraft descended through various altitudes. During this period, the aircraft experienced a high load factor of 4.6 and a rapid increase in airspeed, reaching 338 knots, before the airspeed reading abruptly dropped to zero.
The aircraft continued a rapid descent, eventually dropping from 9,900 feet to 800 feet. Witnesses on the ground reported hearing sounds consistent with mechanical fractures or propeller feathering, followed by a boom and the sight of black smoke trailing the spinning aircraft. The aircraft crashed in an open field. The accident resulted in six fatalities, including the pilot and five passengers. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Findings
- The aircraft's central advisory and warning system recorded the activation of propeller heat and the opening of the inertial separator shortly before the breakup.
- Radar analysis confirmed a period of extreme descent and high-speed flight immediately preceding the loss of control.
- Witnesses observed the aircraft in a spin and noted the presence of black smoke and structural debris.