What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 16, 2016 about 0835 Beech A36TC N60RW impacted terrain north of the Tupelo airport (tup). An instrument flight plan was filed for this flight. According to air traffic control recordings, shortly after departing runway 36, the pilot advised the tower controller that there was smoke in the cockpit and that they needed to return to the airport. According to witnesses, the airplane made a left, westbound turn, at an altitude of about 500-1,000 feet. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane turning back towards the approach end of runway 18. Witnesses also reported seeing the airplane in a descent with smoke and flames coming from the front left side of the airplane before hearing it impact terrain.
The wreckage was mostly consumed by fire. The airplane struck several trees along an estimated 190 feet during its descent to where it impacted terrain. All flight controls were accounted for at the accident site. Flight control continuity was confirmed to respective inputs. The outboard portion of the right wing was separated from the airplane and heavily burned about 60 feet from the main wreckage. The left wing was still attached to the fuselage. The propeller blades signs of bending and gouging. A few propeller chop marks were visible on the limbs. The exhaust pipe was missing from the engine at the accident site.
The exhaust pipe, fractured v-band clamp and two pieces of heat insulation wrap were recovered from the runway by airport personnel. The items were found in the following order from initial take off roll: 10 piece of insulation wrap, 2) piece of insulation wrap, 3) v-band clamp, 4) exhaust pipe.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 16, 2016 ABOUT 0835 BEECH A36TC N60RW IMPACTED TERRAIN NORTH OF THE TUPELO AIRPORT (TUP). AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THIS FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RECORDINGS, SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING RUNWAY 36, THE PILOT ADVISED THE TOWER CONTROLLER THAT THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND THAT THEY NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE MADE A LEFT, WESTBOUND TURN, AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 500-1,000 FEET. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE TURNING BACK TOWARDS THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 18. WITNESSES ALSO REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE IN A DESCENT WITH SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE FRONT LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE BEFORE HEARING IT IMPACT TERRAIN.
THE WRECKAGE WAS MOSTLY CONSUMED BY FIRE. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK SEVERAL TREES ALONG AN ESTIMATED 190 FEET DURING ITS DESCENT TO WHERE IT IMPACTED TERRAIN. ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED TO RESPECTIVE INPUTS. THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE RIGHT WING WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE AND HEAVILY BURNED ABOUT 60 FEET FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE LEFT WING WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE. THE PROPELLER BLADES SIGNS OF BENDING AND GOUGING. A FEW PROPELLER CHOP MARKS WERE VISIBLE ON THE LIMBS. THE EXHAUST PIPE WAS MISSING FROM THE ENGINE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE.
THE EXHAUST PIPE, FRACTURED V-BAND CLAMP AND TWO PIECES OF HEAT INSULATION WRAP WERE RECOVERED FROM THE RUNWAY BY AIRPORT PERSONNEL. THE ITEMS WERE FOUND IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER FROM INITIAL TAKE OFF ROLL: 10 PIECE OF INSULATION WRAP, 2) PIECE OF INSULATION WRAP, 3) V-BAND CLAMP, 4) EXHAUST PIPE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N60RW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.