What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 6, 2015, approximately 1125 mountain daylight time, a Beechcraft P35 was substantially damaged during a post-impact fire after colliding with trees and terrain during cruise flight approximately 10 miles south of Chadron, Nebraska. The atp-rated pilot departed from Chadron, Nebraska (cdr) airport at approximately 1121 local with a destination of alliance, Nebraska (aia). The pilot was the sole occupant of the aircraft.
The Chadron airport METAR reported at 1053 local: calm winds, visibility of 9 statute miles, 1,500 broken clouds and 3,400 overcast, temperature of 14 degrees celsius, dew point of 11 degrees celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.25 inches of mercury. The next disseminated METAR report at 1153 local reported: calm winds, visibility of 9 statute miles, few clouds at 1,600 and 3,000 overcast, temperature of 15 degrees celsius, dew point of 11 degrees celsius and an altimeter of 30.24 inches of mercury. The Chadron airport issued a notices to airman (NOTAM) on October 1, 2015 that the remote communication outlet (rco), frequency 122.5 was out of service from October 3, 2015 thru October 7, 2015.
The national transportation safety board (NTSB) acquired preliminary federal aviation administration (FAA) air traffic control (ATC) information; the airplane had transmitted automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) position data for the accident flight.
The pilot departed VFR utilizing runway 11 about 1121 local and flew south-bound into rising terrain towards alliance, Nebraska. The pilot established two-way radio communication with denver center at approximately 1122 local to pick up his IFR clearance. The pilot was given a transponder code and read the code back to denver center correctly. According to ADS-B data, the pilot flew at an altitude between 4,200 and 4,400 feet MSL with ground speeds varying between 135 and 155 knots. Approximately 2.5 minutes after the transponder code was issued, the controller transmitted that the accident aircraft established radar contact 9 miles south of the Chadron airport. The controller requested the altitude of the aircraft. No response from the accident aircraft was transmitted on the frequency.
The initial impact of the aircraft indicated that the aircraft hit and broke a few tree tops and impacted a ridge line. Paint chips and debris were found at the base of the ridge. The main wreckage was found south-east of the initial impact site several hundred yards away. A few tree tops were broken along the area from initial impact to the main wreckage site. Along the path from initial impact, the aircraft broke apart with debris scattering across the area. Some of the debris found indicated that a post-impact fire erupted from initial impact siteburnt vege with signs of tation surrounding various smaller pieces.
The main wreckage was located at the base of the second ridge in a canyon south-east of the initial impact sight. A large area of burnt ground and vegetation surrounded the main fuselage. The left wing was separated from the fuselage. The pilot was fatally injured in the crash and the aircraft was damaged substantially. There were a few trees damaged on the property and no persons were harmed on the ground.
The last 100 hour and annual inspections were conducted on June 11, 2015. As of this date, the aircraft had a total time of 4078.86 hours, engine total time of 1952.75, engine time since major overhaul of 212.74, propeller total time of 991.03, and propeller total time since overhaul of 212.74.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 6, 2015, APPROXIMATELY 1125 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECHCRAFT P35 WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A POST-IMPACT FIRE AFTER COLLIDING WITH TREES AND TERRAIN DURING CRUISE FLIGHT APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTH OF CHADRON, NEBRASKA. THE ATP-RATED PILOT DEPARTED FROM CHADRON, NEBRASKA (CDR) AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 1121 LOCAL WITH A DESTINATION OF ALLIANCE, NEBRASKA (AIA). THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT.
THE CHADRON AIRPORT METAR REPORTED AT 1053 LOCAL: CALM WINDS, VISIBILITY OF 9 STATUTE MILES, 1,500 BROKEN CLOUDS AND 3,400 OVERCAST, TEMPERATURE OF 14 DEGREES CELSIUS, DEW POINT OF 11 DEGREES CELSIUS, AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.25 INCHES OF MERCURY. THE NEXT DISSEMINATED METAR REPORT AT 1153 LOCAL REPORTED: CALM WINDS, VISIBILITY OF 9 STATUTE MILES, FEW CLOUDS AT 1,600 AND 3,000 OVERCAST, TEMPERATURE OF 15 DEGREES CELSIUS, DEW POINT OF 11 DEGREES CELSIUS AND AN ALTIMETER OF 30.24 INCHES OF MERCURY. THE CHADRON AIRPORT ISSUED A NOTICES TO AIRMAN (NOTAM) ON OCTOBER 1, 2015 THAT THE REMOTE COMMUNICATION OUTLET (RCO), FREQUENCY 122.5 WAS OUT OF SERVICE FROM OCTOBER 3, 2015 THRU OCTOBER 7, 2015.
THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) ACQUIRED PRELIMINARY FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) INFORMATION; THE AIRPLANE HAD TRANSMITTED AUTOMATIC DEPENDENT SURVEILLANCE-BROADCAST (ADS-B) POSITION DATA FOR THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.
THE PILOT DEPARTED VFR UTILIZING RUNWAY 11 ABOUT 1121 LOCAL AND FLEW SOUTH-BOUND INTO RISING TERRAIN TOWARDS ALLIANCE, NEBRASKA. THE PILOT ESTABLISHED TWO-WAY RADIO COMMUNICATION WITH DENVER CENTER AT APPROXIMATELY 1122 LOCAL TO PICK UP HIS IFR CLEARANCE. THE PILOT WAS GIVEN A TRANSPONDER CODE AND READ THE CODE BACK TO DENVER CENTER CORRECTLY. ACCORDING TO ADS-B DATA, THE PILOT FLEW AT AN ALTITUDE BETWEEN 4,200 AND 4,400 FEET MSL WITH GROUND SPEEDS VARYING BETWEEN 135 AND 155 KNOTS. APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MINUTES AFTER THE TRANSPONDER CODE WAS ISSUED, THE CONTROLLER TRANSMITTED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ESTABLISHED RADAR CONTACT 9 MILES SOUTH OF THE CHADRON AIRPORT. THE CONTROLLER REQUESTED THE ALTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. NO RESPONSE FROM THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSMITTED ON THE FREQUENCY.
THE INITIAL IMPACT OF THE AIRCRAFT INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HIT AND BROKE A FEW TREE TOPS AND IMPACTED A RIDGE LINE. PAINT CHIPS AND DEBRIS WERE FOUND AT THE BASE OF THE RIDGE. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS FOUND SOUTH-EAST OF THE INITIAL IMPACT SITE SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS AWAY. A FEW TREE TOPS WERE BROKEN ALONG THE AREA FROM INITIAL IMPACT TO THE MAIN WRECKAGE SITE. ALONG THE PATH FROM INITIAL IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT BROKE APART WITH DEBRIS SCATTERING ACROSS THE AREA. SOME OF THE DEBRIS FOUND INDICATED THAT A POST-IMPACT FIRE ERUPTED FROM INITIAL IMPACT SITEBURNT VEGE WITH SIGNS OF TATION SURROUNDING VARIOUS SMALLER PIECES.
THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED AT THE BASE OF THE SECOND RIDGE IN A CANYON SOUTH-EAST OF THE INITIAL IMPACT SIGHT. A LARGE AREA OF BURNT GROUND AND VEGETATION SURROUNDED THE MAIN FUSELAGE. THE LEFT WING WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED IN THE CRASH AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED SUBSTANTIALLY. THERE WERE A FEW TREES DAMAGED ON THE PROPERTY AND NO PERSONS WERE HARMED ON THE GROUND.
THE LAST 100 HOUR AND ANNUAL INSPECTIONS WERE CONDUCTED ON JUNE 11, 2015. AS OF THIS DATE, THE AIRCRAFT HAD A TOTAL TIME OF 4078.86 HOURS, ENGINE TOTAL TIME OF 1952.75, ENGINE TIME SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL OF 212.74, PROPELLER TOTAL TIME OF 991.03, AND PROPELLER TOTAL TIME SINCE OVERHAUL OF 212.74.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.