BEECH J35 — Helena, MT

What happened

A family member reported that the purpose of the flight was for the pilot to practice, as he had not flown in about a month. Three witnesses provided statements during the investigation. According to the first witness, he observed two airplanes heading north; the second airplane was lower but was climbing and was much faster than the first airplane. As the second airplane was closing in on the first airplane from below, the witness stated that it suddenly made what looked like an evasive maneuver. A second witness reported that he first heard the airplane when its engine suddenly "changed pitch and sped up." He then looked up and saw a single-engine, low-wing airplane in a nose-down attitude slowly spinning. He also stated that there were no other airplanes in the area at the time of the accident. A third witness reported that he heard "the props of a small plane struggling," and that he thought he heard a "bang" on impact. The witness stated that he could not say if there was another airplane in the area just before the accident. Personnel located at the local non-radar-equipped control tower reported that there was no indication of another airplane in the vicinity of the accident airplane just before the accident.

Postaccident on-site examination of the wreckage revealed that the accident airplane impacted relatively flat, desert-like terrain in a steep, nose-down, left-wing-low attitude, which was consistent with a stall/spin sequence. All flight controls and components necessary for flight were accounted for at the accident site, and control continuity was established. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Thus, it is likely that the pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.