VFR into IMC · NTSB CEN10FA044
BEECH A36 — Spring Branch, TX
| Date | November 8, 2009 |
| Location | Spring Branch, TX |
| Aircraft | BEECH A36 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Aircraft structural failure |
| Pilot age | 60 |
| Pilot total time | 885 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | 500 hrs |
| Fatalities | 3 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Experience/qualifications-Recent instrument experience-Pilot - F
- Personnel issues-Physical-Health/Fitness-Use of medication/drugs-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Physical-Sensory ability/limitation-Vestibular function-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-(general)-Pilot - C
What happened
The pilot was on an instrument flight rules flight and was level at 9,000 feet mean sea level. Radar data showed that the airplane was flown in an area of heavy intensity rain echoes and was on a meandering course generally eastbound when it then began a shallow turn to the left and then began turning to the right. Radar data for the last 14 seconds of the flight showed that the airplane began a descent and was still turning to the right. Radio and radar contact was then lost. Two witnesses near the accident site reported hearing a loud noise and then seeing something very large with lots of smaller pieces falling out of the clouds. Separated portions of the airplane impacted terrain in a generally circular area about 500 feet in diameter, consistent with an in-flight breakup at a low altitude.
A postaccident examination of the airplane showed no anomalies with the engine or other systems. A review of the pilot’s logbook showed that his last instrument flight experience was nearly 2 years prior to the accident. It also showed the pilot had recently purchased the airplane and had approximately 4 hours of flight time in it. A sedating antihistamine with impairing effects was found during a postmortem toxicological examination of tissue from the pilot, but no blood was available for analysis, so no determination could be made regarding how recently the medication might have been taken or whether the pilot could have been impaired by its use at the time of the accident.