What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 12-14-2008 at approximately 1430 CST, a Beechcraft king air C-90A N43KM departed hondo airport hondo, Texas enroute to goodyear, Arizona following a maintenance visit at corrigan air center in hondo, Texas. At 1450 CST, N43KM requested and received IFR clearance to goodyear, Arizona. Radar track observed aircraft deviating from assigned course and altitude assignment. When questioned, the pilot replied he was experiencing auto pilot problems. Center lost radar and communication at 1459 CST. An eyewitness on the ground stated he saw the aircraft break apart in flight near Rocksprings, Texas. The wreckage indicated an aerodynamic overload in that both engines had separated from the aircraft, the entire tail section had separated from the aircraft. Both wing tips were sheared off their respective wings, the right aileron separated and was located furthest from all other crash debris indicating it was the first item to separate from the aircraft. The aircraft came to rest on its belly in an open field. The debris radius was approximately a quarter of a mile with reference to the aircraft. The pilot was fatally injured. No post crash fire occurred.
As the FAA filed it
ON 12-14-2008 AT APPROXIMATELY 1430 CST, A BEECHCRAFT KING AIR C-90A N43KM DEPARTED HONDO AIRPORT HONDO, TEXAS ENROUTE TO GOODYEAR, ARIZONA FOLLOWING A MAINTENANCE VISIT AT CORRIGAN AIR CENTER IN HONDO, TEXAS. AT 1450 CST, N43KM REQUESTED AND RECEIVED IFR CLEARANCE TO GOODYEAR, ARIZONA. RADAR TRACK OBSERVED AIRCRAFT DEVIATING FROM ASSIGNED COURSE AND ALTITUDE ASSIGNMENT. WHEN QUESTIONED, THE PILOT REPLIED HE WAS EXPERIENCING AUTO PILOT PROBLEMS. CENTER LOST RADAR AND COMMUNICATION AT 1459 CST. AN EYEWITNESS ON THE GROUND STATED HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT BREAK APART IN FLIGHT NEAR ROCKSPRINGS, TEXAS. THE WRECKAGE INDICATED AN AERODYNAMIC OVERLOAD IN THAT BOTH ENGINES HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, THE ENTIRE TAIL SECTION HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH WING TIPS WERE SHEARED OFF THEIR RESPECTIVE WINGS, THE RIGHT AILERON SEPARATED AND WAS LOCATED FURTHEST FROM ALL OTHER CRASH DEBRIS INDICATING IT WAS THE FIRST ITEM TO SEPARATE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS BELLY IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE DEBRIS RADIUS WAS APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER OF A MILE WITH REFERENCE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. NO POST CRASH FIRE OCCURRED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.