# Accident 20120811017539A: Beech V35B, Effingham, SC, August 11, 2012 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 11, 2012, 13:10 local time - Place: Effingham, SC - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.1047° N, 79.7328° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1047&lon=-79.7328&mi=10 - Aircraft: N11JK, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N11JK-2018-02-08) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech V35B (registry code 1151548, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-v35b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH V35B - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA12LA500](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12LA500) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120811017539A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES: LEVEL AT 12000 FEET, ENCOUNTERED PRECIPITATION AND TURBULANCE. DEVIATED AND CONDUCTED EMERGENCY DESCENT. AT ABOUT 4000 FEET OIL ALL OVER WINDSHIELD AND LANDED IN A FIELD. PILOT STATEMENT:THE FOLLOWING IS A DESCRIPTION, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AND RECOLLECTION, OF THE EVENTS OF AUGUST 11 2012 ON MY FLIGHT FROM KHEF TO KXFL IN MY 1973 BEECHCRAFT V35B N11JK, FAA DESIGNATOR BE35/G. WE DEPARTED HEF AROUND 10:50 AM ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS HEF, SOP, RUBYS INTERSECTION, SUBER INTERSECTION, DIRECT XFL. THE FIRST HALF OF THE FLIGHT WAS NORMAL AND WITHOUT INCIDENT. NORTH OF FLORENCE SC, I WAS HANDED OFF TO JACKSONVILLE CENTER. I CALLED JACKSONVILLE CENTER TO CHECK IN AND THERE WAS NO REPLY TO MY CALL. I WAITED A FEW MOMENTS AND CALLED AGAIN, THIS TIME THE CONTROLLER REPLIED. SOMETIME LATER {I WAS NOT CHECKING MY WATCH} JACKSONVILLE CENTER CALLED AND SAID "…THERE IS LIGHT TO MODERATE PRECIP AT MY 12 O'CLOCK 20 MILES." I COULDN'T SEE THE WEATHER HE WAS REFERRING TO BECAUSE WE WERE IN AND OUT OF IMC. AT ABOUT 10 MILES AWAY I SAW THE WEATHER AHEAD OF ME AND I CALLED JACKSONVILLE CENTER AND REQUESTED A DEVIATION FOR THE WEATHER. I RECEIVED NO REPLY. I WAITED A FEW MOMENTS TO TRY AGAIN, BUT THEN THE FREQUENCY WAS BUSY WITH THE CONTROLLER HANDLING COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC AND I DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A CALL UNTIL WE HAD PENETRATED THE CLOUD. I PULLED THE POWER BACK TO PENETRATE THE CLOUD. ONCE IN THE CLOUD WE ENCOUNTERED LIGHT DRIZZLE WHICH THEN TURNED INTO MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED JACKSONVILLE CENTER AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE DEVIATION FOR WEATHER. THE CONTROLLER ONLY SAID " ONE ONE JULIET KILO TURN LEFT." NO HEADING, NOT HOW MANY DEGREES, JUST" TURN LEFT". I DECIDED TO TURN LEFT ABOUT 10 DEGREES BUT BEFORE I REACHED EVEN 5 DEGREES WE WERE BEING THROWN AROUND BY MODERATE TO HEAVY TURBULENCE. I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG WE WERE IN THE TURBULENCE. I SLOWED THE PLANE AND DID ALL I COULD TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THEN MY AHRS WENT OUT AND I WAS FORCED TO USE MY BACK UP HORIZON AND INSTRUMENTS. I COULD SEE THAT WE WERE ALMOST WINGS LEVEL SO I INITIATED AN EMERGENCY DECENT TO GET OUT OF THE CLOUD. I EXITED THE CLOUD AT ABOUT 4000 FEET, AND STARTED TO LEVEL OFF. THE CONTROLLER CALLED AND ASKED "ARE YOU LEVEL?" I REPLIED "WE WERE OUT OF THE CLOUD AND LEVELING OFF AT 3500." THAT IS WHEN I THOUGHT THAT THE ENGINE LET GO AS THERE WAS A "BANG" AND THEN OIL ON THE WINDSCREEN{I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE PROP HAD DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT}. I CALLED JACKSONVILLE CENTER BACK AND SAID "WE JUST LOST THE ENGINE." THE CONTROLLER THEN GAVE ME A VECTOR BACK TO KFLO THAT WAS ABOUT 10 MILES BEHIND ME. I ESTABLISHED BEST GLIDE AND TRIED TO MAKE FLO. AT ABOUT 1200 FEET I REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE FLO AND INFORMED THE CONTROLLER THAT " I HAD PICKED OUT A FIELD AND WAS GOING TO PUT DOWN THERE." I LOWERED THE GEAR TO SCRUB OFF SOME SPEED AND ALTITUDE AND SET UP FOR THE OFF FIELD LANDING. I SLOWED TO AROUND 70 KNOTS NOT WANTING TO STALL THE AIRCRAFT AND SET IT DOWN AS LIGHTLY AS WAS POSSIBLE. THE CORNFIELD WAS VERY WET AND SOFT. AS SOON AS WE TOUCHED DOWN THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY ROTATED 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT AND WE SLID TO A STOP. I MADE SURE THAT MY WIFE WAS OK AND HAD HER DEPART THE AIRCRAFT. AS THERE WAS NO FIRE, I REMAINED INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT TO CALL JACKSONVILLE CENTER TO LET THEM KNOW WE WERE DOWN AND OK. ACCIDENT SITE: IN A CORN FIELD, APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF KFLO. AS STATED BY THE PILOT, THE PROPELLER DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT, BUT WASN'T SURE WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 4-5 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE IN COWARD COUNTY. NO PERSONS OR PROPERTY ON GROUND WERE HURT/DAMAGED BY PROPELLER. ## 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 ERA12LA500](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12LA500), Aug 11, 2012: Beech V35B (N11JK), Effingham, SC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to avoid an encounter with known adverse weather conditions, which resulted in an in-flight upset, temporary loss of control, and loading of the airframe, engine, and propeller… ## Other reports on N11JK (4) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20001113018329I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001113018329I), Nov 13, 2000: Beech V35B (N11JK), Reidsville, NC, Minor damage. (-23) Pilot reported that shortly after entering cruise flight the engine lost power, simular to fuel exhaustion. The pilot attempted to switch tanks, change… - [Accident 19950718019139A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950718019139A), Jul 18, 1995: Beech V35B (N11JK), Goshen, OH, Substantial damage. Premature liftoff on short strip. Settled several times. Tried lift wing with rudder. Mushed into brush and tree. (-23) on Tuesday 07/18/95, at 2045 EDT, a… - [Incident 19870307080429I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870307080429I), Mar 7, 1987: Beech V35B (N11JK), Cincinnati, OH, Minor damage. Electrical failure. Made a go around. Thought he had gear down. Landed with gear up. - [Accident 19860216002709A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19860216002709A), Feb 16, 1986: Beech V35B (N11JK), Lake Lure, NC, Substantial damage. Fuel exhausted en route near destination. Landed on golf course fairway with gear down. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.