# Accident 20150502005609A: Beech B35, Orange, TX, May 2, 2015

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 2, 2015, 10:15 local time
- Place: Orange, TX
- Airport: Orange County
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.0792° N, 93.7947° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.0792&lon=-93.7947&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5176C, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5176C-2018-08-10) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech B35 (registry code 1151506, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-b35) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental E185 series (registry code 17014, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-e185-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH B35
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR E185 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 885 total, 5 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN15FA214](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15FA214) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150502005609A

## Narrative

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

A 1950 BEECHCRAFT BONANZA B35 WAS DEPARTING RUNWAY 04 AT ORG. THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO CLIMB SUFFICIENTLY ENOUGH TO AVOID STRIKING THE TOP WIRE OF A 65 FOOT UTILITY POWER LINE THAT WAS .55 STATUTE MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DESTROYED AND THE PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WERE CRITICALLY INJURED. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE TAKEN BY LIFE FLIGHT TO TWO SEPARATE HOSPITALS. CURRENT CONDITION IS LISTED AS CRITICAL BUT STABLE.

THIS POWER LINE IS APPROXIMATELY 1/2 STATUTE MILE FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE THEN DEPARTED NORMAL FLIGHT AND FELL UNCONTROLLABLY TO THE GROUND IMPACTING THE LEFT WING AND BOTTOM FRONT PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE DURING A SLIGHTLY NOSE DOWN LEFT BANKING ATTITUDE. THE ANGLE OF IMPACT WAS GREATER THAN 45 DEGREES (HIGH ANGLE LOW VELOCITY IMPACT) EVEN THOUGH THE AIRCRAFT WAS NEARLY LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND LESS THAN 125 FROM THE POWER LINES SKIPPED AND CAME TO REST AT APPROXIMATELY 160 FEET FROM THE POWER LINES.

THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT TO THE REAR IN A LARGE RADIUS BEND INDICATING THE ENGINE WAS MAKING LITTLE OR NO POWER UPON IMPACT. THERE WERE BLACK MARKS INDICATIVE OF ELECTRICAL ARCING FOUND ON THE FRONT OF ONE BLADE.  THE LEFT UPPER ENGINE COWL ACCESS PANEL WAS DISPLACED AND OPENED FULLY TO THE RIGHT SIDE ABOVE THE RIGHT ENGINE COWL ACCESS PANEL. THE ENGINE MOUNTS WERE BROKEN AND THE ENGINE WAS IN A LEFT DOWNWARD POSITION, AND ROTATED APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES IN A COUNTER CLOCKWISE MOTION (FROM THE FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE). THE WINDSHIELD WAS BROKEN AND MORE THAN 85 % WAS MISSING. THE LEFT WING WAS DAMAGED IN SEVERAL PLACES ALONG THE LEADING EDGE, MOST NOTABLY WAS THE DAMAGE MIDWAY BETWEEN THE FUSELAGE AND WINGTIP THAT SHOWED BLACKENING FROM ELECTRICAL ARCING INDICATING CONTACT WITH THE POWER LINES, AND WINGTIP DAMAGE SHOWED A REARWARD TORQUEING POSSIBLY INDICATING A FRONTAL IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE REAR PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE WAS TORN COMPLETELY ON THE TOP AND BOTH SIDES AND APPROX. 50% ALONG THE BOTTOM. THE SIDES SHOWED TORSIONAL WRINKLES INDICATING A STRONG TORQUE ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS POSSIBLY OCCURRING AT THE TIME THE NOSE IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE BOTTOM OF THE LEFT RUDDERVATOR SHOWED WRINKLING INDICATIVE OF A DOWNWARD FORCE. THIS POSSIBLY OCCURRED DURING TIME WHEN THE REAR OF THE FUSELAGE WAS TORN FREE IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION. THE AILERON AND PART OF THE WING FLAP OF THE RIGHT WING WAS DAMAGED AND WRINKLED. THE LEADING EDGE WAS DAMAGED IN TWO PLACES. THE WINGTIP HAS A FRONTAL IMPACT AND THE WING IS TWISTED UP INDICATING A POSSIBLE LOCATION OF A WIRE STRIKE. THE IMPACT MIDWAY BETWEEN THE FUSELAGE AND THE WINGTIP WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO REMOVE A SECTION APPROX. 3 FEET IN LENGTH. THE ENTRY DOOR (PERSONNEL) WAS TORN LOOSE AT THE HINGES AND THE ?A? PILLAR WAS CUT AND PULLED UP AND FORWARD (POSSIBLY DONE BY THE EMS CREW IN AN ATTEMPT TO ACCESS THE INTERIOR OF THE AIRCRAFT TO TREAT THE OCCUPANTS). INTERIOR DAMAGE INCLUDED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TORN LOOSE ON THE SIDES AND TOP AND ROTATED TOWARD THE CABIN. THE FLOOR OF WAS PUSHED UP AND BACK. THIS INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NEAR LEVEL PITCH ATTITUDE OR SLIGHTLY NOSE DOWN AND A SLIGHT LEFT BANK ATTITUDE.

## 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 CEN15FA214](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15FA214), May 2, 2015: Beech B35 (N5176C), Orange, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The impact with power lines for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

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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