Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB ANC20FA005
Beech V35 — Blythe, CA
| Date | November 26, 2019 |
| Location | Blythe, CA |
| Aircraft | Beech V35 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Night/Dark · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering Loss of control in flight |
| Pilot age | 67 |
| Pilot total time | 543 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Turbulence-Terrain induced turbulence-Effect on operation - F
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-High wind-Effect on operation - F
What happened
The solo private pilot was performing a personal visual flight rules cross-country flight at night in mountainous terrain. The flight entered the mountain range on a westerly course then diverted to the east due to encountering inclement weather. The air traffic controller handling the flight lost the airplane on radar and the pilot on radio communications.
Several witnesses driving nearby reported that the airplane was flying close to the road at a steep angle before it impacted terrain and a postcrash fire ensued. Two witnesses added that it was dark night conditions, one reported high wind conditions, and another reported poor visibility during the time of the accident.
A meteorological study of weather conditions about the time of the accident indicated the potential for reduced visibility conditions, moderate to severe turbulence, and moderate to severe mountain wave conditions. A review of weather provider data revealed that the accident pilot had not received a weather briefing before the accident flight.
Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot lost control of the accident airplane when the flight encountered reduced visibility, high wind, turbulence, and mountain wave conditions while flying in dark night conditions in mountainous terrain.