19980907040059A

(-23) On September 7, 1998, about 1700 eastern daylight time, a Beech A23-24 musketeer, N453D, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Shunk, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot-owner, the certificated private pilot-rated passenger, and three additional passengers were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. No flight plan was filed for the flight between elmira/corning regional airport (elm), elmira, new york, and new london airport (N01), new london, Pennsylvania. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to witnesses, the airplane descended from a cloud layer with part of one wing missing. It entered a spin and crashed into a corn field. Several witnesses stated that they later saw a wing-like object flutter to the ground, east of the crash site. Witnesses also stated that the sky was overcast when the accident occurred. Weather at an airport located 19 nautical miles to the southwest of the accident scene, at an elevation of 529 feet, included a broken cloud layer at 2,900 feet above the ground, and an overcast layer at 3,500 feet above the ground. The accident site was located in a valley, about the 1,600 foot level. Rising terrain to the north, south and west ranged from 2,000 to 2,300 feet in elevation. Neither pilot was instrument rated, and the airplane was not in radio contact with any controlling facilities at the time of the accident. Examination of the airplane's wreckage revealed that the outboard 6 feet of the left wing were missing. Wing spars of both wings were bent upwards. The propeller exhibited chordwise scoring; one propeller blade was curled backwards at the tip, and both blades exhibited "s" pattern bending. The engine accessory section was destroyed, and the crankshaft was bent about 40 degrees to the right, between the casing and the propeller. All cockpit instruments were destroyed. The fuel tanks were split open, and no evidence of fuel was found near the wreckage. However, witnesses said that when they approached the crash site from below, they noticed a heavy odor of fuel. Also, the airplane took on 42.4 gallons of fuel at elmira, about 38 nautical miles north of the accident site. (.4) two non-instrument-rated private pilots and three passengers decided to return home after a weekend visit. A friend tried to dissuade them from flying because of the existing weather conditions, but was told they had to return home because, among other things, the children's school started the next day. The friend then offered to drive home with them, and bring their rental car back. The pilots declined, but assured him they would not fly if the weather was too bad. At the airport, one of the pilots was seen checking the weather computer a number of times, and the group was noted as being 'pretty concerned about the weather.' The airplane departed elmira where the weather was reported at 1622 hours as 3,600 foot overcast with light rain, and climbed to about 8,500 feet into, or near instrument meteorological conditions. The radar track showed the aircraft transitioning from a climbing right turn approximately 8,500 feet to a rapidly descending right turn. An altitude loss of 1,600 feet in 12 seconds was recorded. It was observed descending from a cloud layer, in a spin, with part of the left wing missing, just before impacting terrain. The pilot-owner was in the left front seat, and the other pilot was in the right front seat. At the time of the accident, the airplane was near its maximum gross weight. Post-crash metallurgical examination of left wing spar fracture surfaces revealed features typical of overstress separation and no pre-existing crack features.