20100807047169A

ON AUGUST 7, 2010, AT 0905:28 ET THE PILOT OF AIRCRAFT N28MR STATED HIS INTENTIONS TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AS, "..DEPART UP TO THE AH NORTHWEST FOR SOME AIR WORK…". AT 0908:57 ET AIRCRAFT N28MR WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF AND DEPARTED FROM ARNOLD PALMER REGIONAL AIRPORT (KLBE), LATROBE, PA. THERE WERE NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS WITH AIRCRAFT N28MR. THE WEATHER REPORTED FOR KBLE BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NATIONAL OCEANIC & ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION AT 0850 ET WAS SCATTERED CLOUDS WITH A CEILING OF 2000 FEET, 10 STATUTE MILES OF VISIBILITY, WITH A TEMPERATURE OF 72°F, DEW POINT OF 61°F, RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 68%, WIND SPEED OF 0 MILES PER HOUR, AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.02 INCHES OF MERCURY. AT 0909:48 ET THE FIRST RADAR RETURN SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET AND WAS ON A HEADING OF 250 DEGREES AT A SPEED OF 138 KNOTS. SUBSEQUENTLY, AT APPROXIMATELY 0914:14 ET THE AIRCRAFT COMMENCED A 360 DEGREE TURN TO THE LEFT. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED AT 0916:27 ET BY A TIGHTER 360 DEGREE TURN TO THE LEFT AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 3600 FEET AND A SPEED OF 159 KNOTS. THEN AT APPROXIMATELY 0917:42 ET THE AIRCRAFT STARTED A RIGHT TURN AT A SPEED OF 142 KNOTS. APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES INTO THE TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 0919:50 ET THE AIRCRAFT'S SPEED SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED TO 91 KNOTS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE SPEED DROPPED TO 81 KNOTS AT 0919:58. THEREAFTER THE RADAR DATA SHOWS A CONSTANT SPEED OF 71 KNOTS UNTIL THE LAST REPORT AT 0920:10 AT A LATITUDE OF 40 29" 7.36" AND LONGITUDE -79 31' 10.28" AND THE FINAL REPORTED ALTITUDE WAS 3900 FEET.AT APPROXIMATELY 0920 ET AIRCRAFT N28MR IMPACTED A HOUSE AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE GARAGE OF THE HOUSE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT AND POST CRASH FIRE, KILLING BOTH PILOTS. THE HOME WAS DESTROYED AND THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE HOME ESCAPED WITHOUT INJURY. THE ACCIDENT SITE IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 14 NAUTICAL MILES AND 338 DEGREES FROM KLBE.FIVE WITNESSES STATED THE SOUND OF AN ENGINE SPUTTERING OR CUTTING ON AND OFF DREW THEIR ATTENTION TO THE SKY. FIVE WITNESSES ALSO SAW THE AIRCRAFT IN FLAT SPIN WITH THE NOSE DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES. FOUR OF THE WITNESSES SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE WINGS OF THE AIRCRAFT. ONE WITNESS STATED THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE BOTH OF THE ENGINES, WHICH HE ADDED WAS COMING OUT IN PUFFS WHEN THE ENGINE WAS SPUTTERING. TWO OF THE WITNESSES SAW THE AIRCRAFT IN LEVEL FLIGHT AND DESCRIBED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A STALL, WITH ONE OF THE WITNESS SAYING THE LEFT WING DIPPED OVER AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTED SPINNING TO THE LEFT.AIRCRAFT N28MR UTILIZED A SINGLE THROW-OVER-YOKE, WHICH COULD BE SWITCHED BETWEEN THE PILOT AND COPILOT. THE OUTER CONTROL COLUMN TUBE WAS RECOVERED FROM THE WRECKAGE. THE COLUMN STILL HAD THE CONTROL SPROCKET AND CHAIN ATTACHED AND IT WAS SEIZED IN PLACE. AFTER CONSULTATION WITH THE HAWKER BEECHCRAFT INVESTIGATOR, IT WAS NOTED THE CHAIN WAS EXTENDED FROM THE OUTER CONTROL COLUMN SPROCKET TO THE LEFT. IN THIS POSITION THE YOKE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE PILOT'S POSITION. AN EXAMINATION OF THE TWO DETENTS WHERE THE CONTROL ARM POSITION PIN WOULD ENGAGE WERE EXAMINED AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF DEFORMATION ON EITHER SIDE (9 OR 3 O'CLOCK POSITIONS). AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT HAD AN ANNUAL INSPECTION COMPLETED ON MARCH 8, 2010 BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A CERTIFICATED MECHANIC, CERTIFICATE NUMBER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE DOCUMENTATION FOR THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION COMPLETED ON MARCH 8, 2010 DID NOT INDICATE THE OIL HAD BEEN CHANGED. ADDITIONALLY, IT WAS LEARNED FROM THE PRIOR OWNER THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT FLOWN AND WAS STORED FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MONTHS. THE PRIOR OWNER STATED NO LONG TERM STORAGE PROCEDURES WERE FOLLOWED AS NOTED IN THE BEECHCRAFT BARON 58 MAINTENANCE MANUAL AND THE TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL MOTOR'S LONG TERM STORAGE PROCEDURES. AMENDED 6/15/11 as follows: A follow-up review of the data received from the Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) pertaining to supplemental type certificate (STC) SA1762SO showed the aircraft's airspeed indicator should have had the Vmc marked at 87 knots or a newly verified Vmc since multiple STCs were accomplished that affected the Vmc. The airspeed indicator, however, was still marked at 74 knots from the prior STC SA4016NM. STC SA1762SO was accomplished on aircraft N28MR by the original STC holder, Colemill Enterprises, which was owned by a Mr. Ernest W. Colbert, who was the mechanic which completed the modification to the aircraft on January 12, 1999.