# Accident 20110525018779A: Beech 58, Murphy, NC, May 25, 2011

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 25, 2011, 16:18 local time
- Place: Murphy, NC
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: F9FA
- Location: 35.1881° N, 84.1536° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1881&lon=-84.1536&mi=10
- Aircraft: N77AR, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N77AR-2018-01-24) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech 58 (registry code 1152740, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-58) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 58
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 4
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 3,025 total, 866 in this make and model, 233 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA11FA312](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11FA312) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110525018779A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON MAY 25, 2011 AIRCRAFT N77AR BEECH BARON BE-58-58 S/N TH-757 OPERATED BY FRIENDSHIP FLYING SERVICE, INC. PERFORMED A CHARTER FLIGHT WITH AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM FULTON COUNTY AIRPORT-BROWN FIELD ALT GA. (FTY) TO WENDELL H FORD HAZARD KY.(K20).THE REPORTED METAR AT (TYS) WAS 251953 19018G23KT 10SM CLR 34/12 A2985.THE FLIGHT DEPARTED AT ABOUT 1545, WITH A PLAN TO CLIMB TO 9,000 FEET MSL.AT APPROXIMATELY 1615 EDT THE PILOT CONTACTED KNOXVILLE APPROACH (TYS).  APPROXIMATELY 28 SECONDS LATER N77AR DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND REPORTED A FIRE. .  ATC RADAR REPORTED RETURNS AT 8900,8700, AND 8500 FEET MSL.NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS WERE RECEIVED.A WITNESS SAW THE AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 1500MSL IN A NORTHWESTERLY DIRECTION HEARD AND THE AIRCRAFT ACCELERATE TO A HIGH RPM THEN THE RIGHT WING DIPPED AND NOSE DIVED AS THE ENGINES ACCELERATED MORE.  HE LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT OVER A RIDGE THEN HEARD AN EXPLOSION SECONDS LATER.  ANOTHER WITNESS NOTED THE AIRCRAFT MAKING A SHARP RIGHT TURN WENT BEHIND THE TREES AND HEARD THE EXPLOSION WHICH WAS LIKE A SONIC BOOM, THEN SAW A PUFF OF BLACK SMOKE.  THIS WITNESS NOTED THE TIME WAS 1618 EDT.THE AIRPLANE CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA.  THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE AND BURNED AN AREA OF APPROXIMATELY 5 ACRES.   PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THAT PRIOR TO IMPACT BOTH WINGLETS, ELEVATORS, HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL STABILIZER WERE SCATTERED OUTSIDE OF THE CRASH SITE AND FIRE RING.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS INVERTED WITH THE LEFT ENGINE LOCATED UPHILL FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE.  THE PROPELLERS WERE SHEERED AT THE SHAFT WITH THE BLADES BENT.  THE EMPENNAGE AND CABIN WERE IDENTIFIED AT THE IMPACT SITE.  THE FLIGHT DECK AND AVIONICS WERE COMPLETELY CONSUMED BY FIRE. PIECES OF THE AIRPLANE WERE IN THE TREES.  ONE OF THE PIECES WAS THE GLARE SHIELD AND IT SHOWED EVIDENCE OF HEAT TO THE RIGHT SIDE.  PART OF A RIGHT CONTROL YOKE, PIECES OF WINDOW PLEXIGLAS WERE FOUND OUTSIDE OF THE FIRE RING. THE CONTROL YOKE, PLEXIGLAS SHOWED SIGNS OF SOOT AND HEAT DISCOLORATION. THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER WAS ALSO LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE FIRE RING NEAR THE PILOT WHICH WAS INSPECTED AND WEIGHED ON APRIL 13, 2011 AT 5 LBS.  THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER WAS LATER WEIGHED AT 2.02 LBS. THE PILOT WAS FOUND OUTSIDE OF THE CRASH SITE AND FIRE RING, THE 3 PASSENGERS WERE LOCATED AT THE IMPACT SITE CONSUMED BY FIRE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA11FA312](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11FA312), May 25, 2011: Beech 58 (N77AR), Murphy, NC, substantial damage, 4 fatal. Probable cause: An in-flight fire that mostly likely occurred in the right front cockpit area behind the instrument panel and below the glare shield; the origin of the fire could not be determined because of the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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