What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The pilot filed an IFR flight plan, and received a standard weather briefing. The pilot was advised of occasional moderate rime or mixed icing below 10,000 feet for his route of flight. During the briefing the pilot stated, 'we got boots, and will be all right....' Approximately 5 minutes before the accident, the pilot reported the airplane was 'picking up' rime ice at 10,000 feet, and he requested 12,000 feet. He also reported that the windshield and wings were covered with ice, and that ice accumulation at 10,000 feet was moderate and steady. When the airplane started to climb to 12,000 feet, calibrated airspeed (cas) began to decay. When the airplane reached 11,200 feet, and prior to the airplane starting a rapid descent, cas had dropped to 85 knots. Minimum airspeed for icing conditions was published as 130 knots. In addition, the stall speed for the airplane was approximately 82 knots. The airplane was approved for flight into known icing conditions. Examination of the airframe, engines and propellers revealed no preimpact failures or malfunctions. (-23) N875JC is a Beech baron BE-58, registered to bettenhausen motorsports, inc, of indianapolis, IN, with the registration certificate issued 12/6/1999. The aircraft was operating on an IFR flight plan, filed with the nashville afss, with the flight originating at tri-cities regional airport (tri), bristol, TN, with a destination of eagle creek airpark (eye), indianapolis, IN. The pilot-in-command listed on the flight plan was tony bettenhausen, who holds a private pilot certificate with airplane single engine land and instrument airplane ratings. A review of ptrs entires suggests that Mr. Bettenhausen took a practical test for an airplane multiengine land rating on 12/10/99, with unsatisfactory results. On 12/17/99, he again took a practical test for that rating, with satisfactory results. The pilot held a third class medical certificate, issued on 10/1/99, with no restrictions. The flight was under control of lexington approach control (lex) for approximately twenty minutes prior to the crash. The pilot was assigned an altitude of 10,000 feet. He reported icing and requested a higher altitude, and was cleared to climb to 12,000 feet. While passing through 10,600 feet, he reported clear of the ice. Radar data shows a maximum altitude of 11,200 feet. At 1645Z the radar data indicates a rapid descent (initial indications are approximately 7,800 feet per minute). The last radar position was at 1645:55Z at an altitude of 3,800 feet. Witnesses report the aircraft coming out of the clouds making a corkscrewing motion. Initial indications are that the wreckage distribution is confined to a small area, with all major pieces present. The victims (4 fatal) were all still inside the aircraft. There was a post-crash fire.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE PILOT FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN, AND RECEIVED A STANDARD WEATHER BRIEFING. THE PILOT WAS ADVISED OF OCCASIONAL MODERATE RIME OR MIXED ICING BELOW 10,000 FEET FOR HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. DURING THE BRIEFING THE PILOT STATED, 'WE GOT BOOTS, AND WILL BE ALL RIGHT....' APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRPLANE WAS 'PICKING UP' RIME ICE AT 10,000 FEET, AND HE REQUESTED 12,000 FEET. HE ALSO REPORTED THAT THE WINDSHIELD AND WINGS WERE COVERED WITH ICE, AND THAT ICE ACCUMULATION AT 10,000 FEET WAS MODERATE AND STEADY. WHEN THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO CLIMB TO 12,000 FEET, CALIBRATED AIRSPEED (CAS) BEGAN TO DECAY. WHEN THE AIRPLANE REACHED 11,200 FEET, AND PRIOR TO THE AIRPLANE STARTING A RAPID DESCENT, CAS HAD DROPPED TO 85 KNOTS. MINIMUM AIRSPEED FOR ICING CONDITIONS WAS PUBLISHED AS 130 KNOTS. IN ADDITION, THE STALL SPEED FOR THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 82 KNOTS. THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROVED FOR FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME, ENGINES AND PROPELLERS REVEALED NO PREIMPACT FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS. (-23) N875JC IS A BEECH BARON BE-58, REGISTERED TO BETTENHAUSEN MOTORSPORTS, INC, OF INDIANAPOLIS, IN, WITH THE REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE ISSUED 12/6/1999. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN, FILED WITH THE NASHVILLE AFSS, WITH THE FLIGHT ORIGINATING AT TRI-CITIES REGIONAL AIRPORT (TRI), BRISTOL, TN, WITH A DESTINATION OF EAGLE CREEK AIRPARK (EYE), INDIANAPOLIS, IN. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND LISTED ON THE FLIGHT PLAN WAS TONY BETTENHAUSEN, WHO HOLDS A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND AND INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE RATINGS. A REVIEW OF PTRS ENTIRES SUGGESTS THAT MR. BETTENHAUSEN TOOK A PRACTICAL TEST FOR AN AIRPLANE MULTIENGINE LAND RATING ON 12/10/99, WITH UNSATISFACTORY RESULTS. ON 12/17/99, HE AGAIN TOOK A PRACTICAL TEST FOR THAT RATING, WITH SATISFACTORY RESULTS. THE PILOT HELD A THIRD CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, ISSUED ON 10/1/99, WITH NO RESTRICTIONS. THE FLIGHT WAS UNDER CONTROL OF LEXINGTON APPROACH CONTROL (LEX) FOR APPROXIMATELY TWENTY MINUTES PRIOR TO THE CRASH. THE PILOT WAS ASSIGNED AN ALTITUDE OF 10,000 FEET. HE REPORTED ICING AND REQUESTED A HIGHER ALTITUDE, AND WAS CLEARED TO CLIMB TO 12,000 FEET. WHILE PASSING THROUGH 10,600 FEET, HE REPORTED CLEAR OF THE ICE. RADAR DATA SHOWS A MAXIMUM ALTITUDE OF 11,200 FEET. AT 1645Z THE RADAR DATA INDICATES A RAPID DESCENT (INITIAL INDICATIONS ARE APPROXIMATELY 7,800 FEET PER MINUTE). THE LAST RADAR POSITION WAS AT 1645:55Z AT AN ALTITUDE OF 3,800 FEET. WITNESSES REPORT THE AIRCRAFT COMING OUT OF THE CLOUDS MAKING A CORKSCREWING MOTION. INITIAL INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE WRECKAGE DISTRIBUTION IS CONFINED TO A SMALL AREA, WITH ALL MAJOR PIECES PRESENT. THE VICTIMS (4 FATAL) WERE ALL STILL INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS A POST-CRASH FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.