Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB WPR09FA061
BEECH V35 — Warner Springs, CA
| Date | December 20, 2008 |
| Location | Warner Springs, CA |
| Aircraft | BEECH V35 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-aerobatics Abrupt maneuver |
| Pilot age | 61 |
| Pilot total time | 6,000 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | 1,299 hrs |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
What happened
A witness to the accident reported that the airplane went straight up, stalled, started to spin downward, and then dove straight toward the ground before pulling up. The witness stated that he watched the airplane do the same maneuver a second time, again going straight up, starting to spin downward, and then go straight down before impacting a field. The witness said that a few weeks prior to the accident he observed the accident airplane performing the same maneuvers. All flight control components were accounted for at the accident site. The airplane was equipped with a single control column with a single yoke, which is commonly referred to as a "throw-over yoke." The single control arm, to which the single yoke is attached, was observed separated from the control column; this precluded identifying which pilot was manipulating the controls at the time of the accident. Examination of the engine and airframe revealed no evidence of any preexisting mechanical anomalies.