What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost control at night no ground light. Vacuum system inop. Spatial disorientaiotn. Spiral dive. Broke up VFR only. (.19) on December 6, 1996, about 1825 central standard time, a Beech D-45, N99065, registered to the navy memphis flying club, experienced an in-flight break-up and crashed near Poplarville, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was destroyed and the private-rated pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The flight originated about 1615 from the memphis naval air station (nas) millington, Tennessee. According to documents filed by the pilot before departure with the navy memphis flying club, the planned flying cruise altitude of the flight was 3,500 feet. Witnesses near the crash site observed the airplane flying westbound oscillating both vertically and laterally. The airplane was then observed rotating about the longitudinal axis then several reported that the airplane pitched nose down. One of the witnesses reported that while descending, the engine RPM was heard to increase and another reported hearing an explosion. The sound of impact was then heard. The witnesses reported that it was a dark night in the area at the time of the accident and there was no adverse weather in the vicinity. Three of the witnesses reported seeing either a flashing red light, or white lights on the airplane illuminated just before the accident. (.4) flight clearance was granted by the club manager (non-pilot) who was allowed by flying club regulations to do so and who had no formal training. The ETA was after the end of twilight. The pilot was not instrument rated and the attitude indicator and directional gyro instruments were inoperative; which he knew about. Flying club regulations requiring an instrument rating for night cross-country flights was previously eliminated. Regulations required IFR equipped aircraft for night cross-country flights. About 32 minutes after the end of nautical twilight while flying over an unlit sparsely populated area, the pilot experienced spatial disorientation. Radar data indicates a right descending turn. Examination of the wreckage indicates overload failure of the right wing, both horizontal stabilizers, and the vertical stabilizer. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evide nce of preimpact failure or malfunction. The rear seat generator failure bulb was illuminated at impact. A discrepancy of the generator was noted but witnesses observed lights from the airplane before impact and the transponder was also operating before impact. (-23) while enroute, crashed 3 miles NE of the picayune VOR. IFR conditions existed at the time of crash.
As the FAA filed it
LOST CONTROL AT NIGHT NO GROUND LIGHT. VACUUM SYSTEM INOP. SPATIAL DISORIENTAIOTN. SPIRAL DIVE. BROKE UP VFR ONLY. (.19) ON DECEMBER 6, 1996, ABOUT 1825 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BEECH D-45, N99065, REGISTERED TO THE NAVY MEMPHIS FLYING CLUB, EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAK-UP AND CRASHED NEAR POPLARVILLE, MISSISSIPPI. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED IN THE AREA AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1615 FROM THE MEMPHIS NAVAL AIR STATION (NAS) MILLINGTON, TENNESSEE. ACCORDING TO DOCUMENTS FILED BY THE PILOT BEFORE DEPARTURE WITH THE NAVY MEMPHIS FLYING CLUB, THE PLANNED FLYING CRUISE ALTITUDE OF THE FLIGHT WAS 3,500 FEET. WITNESSES NEAR THE CRASH SITE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLYING WESTBOUND OSCILLATING BOTH VERTICALLY AND LATERALLY. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN OBSERVED ROTATING ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEN SEVERAL REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE PITCHED NOSE DOWN. ONE OF THE WITNESSES REPORTED THAT WHILE DESCENDING, THE ENGINE RPM WAS HEARD TO INCREASE AND ANOTHER REPORTED HEARING AN EXPLOSION. THE SOUND OF IMPACT WAS THEN HEARD. THE WITNESSES REPORTED THAT IT WAS A DARK NIGHT IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND THERE WAS NO ADVERSE WEATHER IN THE VICINITY. THREE OF THE WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING EITHER A FLASHING RED LIGHT, OR WHITE LIGHTS ON THE AIRPLANE ILLUMINATED JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. (.4) FLIGHT CLEARANCE WAS GRANTED BY THE CLUB MANAGER (NON-PILOT) WHO WAS ALLOWED BY FLYING CLUB REGULATIONS TO DO SO AND WHO HAD NO FORMAL TRAINING. THE ETA WAS AFTER THE END OF TWILIGHT. THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED AND THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND DIRECTIONAL GYRO INSTRUMENTS WERE INOPERATIVE; WHICH HE KNEW ABOUT. FLYING CLUB REGULATIONS REQUIRING AN INSTRUMENT RATING FOR NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHTS WAS PREVIOUSLY ELIMINATED. REGULATIONS REQUIRED IFR EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT FOR NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHTS. ABOUT 32 MINUTES AFTER THE END OF NAUTICAL TWILIGHT WHILE FLYING OVER AN UNLIT SPARSELY POPULATED AREA, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. RADAR DATA INDICATES A RIGHT DESCENDING TURN. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE INDICATES OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE RIGHT WING, BOTH HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS, AND THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE REVEALED NO EVIDE NCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE REAR SEAT GENERATOR FAILURE BULB WAS ILLUMINATED AT IMPACT. A DISCREPANCY OF THE GENERATOR WAS NOTED BUT WITNESSES OBSERVED LIGHTS FROM THE AIRPLANE BEFORE IMPACT AND THE TRANSPONDER WAS ALSO OPERATING BEFORE IMPACT. (-23) WHILE ENROUTE, CRASHED 3 MILES NE OF THE PICAYUNE VOR. IFR CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME OF CRASH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.