What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
-Upon arrival at scene on 11/01/2021, evidence of snow and freezing precipitation covered the surrounding area and aircraft wreckage. The cloud ceiling appeared low with appearance of fog in surrounding area.
-Aircraft appeared to have flown into terrain in controlled state as evidenced by adsb data. Within last five minutes of flight, aircraft speed varied from 125 to 161 knots. Within last five minutes of flight aircraft altitude varied from 4900 to 5500 feet.
-Height of terrain at accident scene approximately 5160 feet MSL.
-Aircraft impacted terrain 3 separate times. The initial impact occurred along a heading of 273 degrees.
-Second impact occurred along a heading of 273 degrees. Second impact occurred 351 feet 10 inches from initial impact point.
-The aircraft engine and propeller departed the aircraft after second impact.
-From the second impact point, the engine traveled 238 feet 4 inches along a heading of 230 degrees.
-From the second impact point, the propeller traveled 222 feet 11 inches along a heading of 252 degrees. The propeller hub contained impact crush damage. The blades were bent mid span. One prop blade tip area was twisted.
-Third impact occurred along a heading of 316 degrees. Third impact occurred 462 feet 2 inches from second impact. -the main aircraft wreckage came to rest 10 feet 7 inches from third impact point. The main aircraft wreckage was oriented perpendicular to 316 degree heading. Note: 316 degree heading intersects with LH side area of fuselage.
-The aircraft fuselage, wings, and tail remained attached. Main wreckage contained to area of rest.
-No evidence of post crash fire.
-The fuselage sustained substantial crush damage from the firewall forward. Crush damage went into cockpit area foot well. Fuselage contained twisting/minor crush damage from cabin area to tail. The area just forward of ruddervator had crush damage/buckling around circumference of fuselage. Note damage extended through RH ruddervator attachment area.
-The RH ruddervator was detached from pivot area. However, still attached by push pull tubes and other tail structure. The ruddervator was laying on the ground next to tail area.
-The LH wing tip was buckled with damage pushed in an upward direction.
-The LH wing inboard leading edge area contained buckling damage pushed in an upward direction. Approximately 3 foot long section.
-The RH wing inboard leading edge area contained buckling damage pushed in an upward direction. The metal in this area was also torn open. Approximately 3 foot long section.
-LH and RH wing tanks contained fuel as evidenced by removing fuel caps.
-Last know refueling took place in marshalltown Iowa as evidenced by fuel receipt dated 10/31/2021.
-Per fore flight, accident pilot filed an IFR flight plan originating in marion Ohio and ending in marshalltown Iowa. A flight plan was not filed from marshalltown Iowa to intended destination airport of Douglas Wyoming.
-Pilot did not hold a current IFR rating.
-Fore flight weather data used for first leg of IFR flight plan was 2 days old.
-Received phone call from a pilot flying in north central Nebraska area on 10/31/2021. While at an altitude of 4500 feet, at approximately 1315 to 1330 local time, pilot stated encountering a white v tail bonanza with red stripes heading slightly southwest at approximately 5000 feet. Pilot could not visibly see registration number. Pilot stated adsb inquiry displayed "light aircraft." Pilot had flown in area to southwest and encountered icing conditions higher than 4500 feet. Pilot stated icing appeared to be like sandpaper on wings. Pilot stated he tried to radio call unknown bonanza twice on 122.8 to warn of icing conditions ahead. Both radio calls went unanswered. Pilot stated AIRMET was issued for the area. Pilot stated although weather was clear in area of encounter, poor weather was visible to the west.
As the FAA filed it
-UPON ARRIVAL AT SCENE ON 11/01/2021, EVIDENCE OF SNOW AND FREEZING PRECIPITATION COVERED THE SURROUNDING AREA AND AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE. THE CLOUD CEILING APPEARED LOW WITH APPEARANCE OF FOG IN SURROUNDING AREA.
-AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE FLOWN INTO TERRAIN IN CONTROLLED STATE AS EVIDENCED BY ADSB DATA. WITHIN LAST FIVE MINUTES OF FLIGHT, AIRCRAFT SPEED VARIED FROM 125 TO 161 KNOTS. WITHIN LAST FIVE MINUTES OF FLIGHT AIRCRAFT ALTITUDE VARIED FROM 4900 TO 5500 FEET.
-HEIGHT OF TERRAIN AT ACCIDENT SCENE APPROXIMATELY 5160 FEET MSL.
-AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TERRAIN 3 SEPARATE TIMES. THE INITIAL IMPACT OCCURRED ALONG A HEADING OF 273 DEGREES.
-SECOND IMPACT OCCURRED ALONG A HEADING OF 273 DEGREES. SECOND IMPACT OCCURRED 351 FEET 10 INCHES FROM INITIAL IMPACT POINT.
-THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE AND PROPELLER DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER SECOND IMPACT.
-FROM THE SECOND IMPACT POINT, THE ENGINE TRAVELED 238 FEET 4 INCHES ALONG A HEADING OF 230 DEGREES.
-FROM THE SECOND IMPACT POINT, THE PROPELLER TRAVELED 222 FEET 11 INCHES ALONG A HEADING OF 252 DEGREES. THE PROPELLER HUB CONTAINED IMPACT CRUSH DAMAGE. THE BLADES WERE BENT MID SPAN. ONE PROP BLADE TIP AREA WAS TWISTED.
-THIRD IMPACT OCCURRED ALONG A HEADING OF 316 DEGREES. THIRD IMPACT OCCURRED 462 FEET 2 INCHES FROM SECOND IMPACT. -THE MAIN AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE CAME TO REST 10 FEET 7 INCHES FROM THIRD IMPACT POINT. THE MAIN AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS ORIENTED PERPENDICULAR TO 316 DEGREE HEADING. NOTE: 316 DEGREE HEADING INTERSECTS WITH LH SIDE AREA OF FUSELAGE.
-THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE, WINGS, AND TAIL REMAINED ATTACHED. MAIN WRECKAGE CONTAINED TO AREA OF REST.
-NO EVIDENCE OF POST CRASH FIRE.
-THE FUSELAGE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL CRUSH DAMAGE FROM THE FIREWALL FORWARD. CRUSH DAMAGE WENT INTO COCKPIT AREA FOOT WELL. FUSELAGE CONTAINED TWISTING/MINOR CRUSH DAMAGE FROM CABIN AREA TO TAIL. THE AREA JUST FORWARD OF RUDDERVATOR HAD CRUSH DAMAGE/BUCKLING AROUND CIRCUMFERENCE OF FUSELAGE. NOTE DAMAGE EXTENDED THROUGH RH RUDDERVATOR ATTACHMENT AREA.
-THE RH RUDDERVATOR WAS DETACHED FROM PIVOT AREA. HOWEVER, STILL ATTACHED BY PUSH PULL TUBES AND OTHER TAIL STRUCTURE. THE RUDDERVATOR WAS LAYING ON THE GROUND NEXT TO TAIL AREA.
-THE LH WING TIP WAS BUCKLED WITH DAMAGE PUSHED IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION.
-THE LH WING INBOARD LEADING EDGE AREA CONTAINED BUCKLING DAMAGE PUSHED IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION. APPROXIMATELY 3 FOOT LONG SECTION.
-THE RH WING INBOARD LEADING EDGE AREA CONTAINED BUCKLING DAMAGE PUSHED IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION. THE METAL IN THIS AREA WAS ALSO TORN OPEN. APPROXIMATELY 3 FOOT LONG SECTION.
-LH AND RH WING TANKS CONTAINED FUEL AS EVIDENCED BY REMOVING FUEL CAPS.
-LAST KNOW REFUELING TOOK PLACE IN MARSHALLTOWN IOWA AS EVIDENCED BY FUEL RECEIPT DATED 10/31/2021.
-PER FORE FLIGHT, ACCIDENT PILOT FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN ORIGINATING IN MARION OHIO AND ENDING IN MARSHALLTOWN IOWA. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FROM MARSHALLTOWN IOWA TO INTENDED DESTINATION AIRPORT OF DOUGLAS WYOMING.
-PILOT DID NOT HOLD A CURRENT IFR RATING.
-FORE FLIGHT WEATHER DATA USED FOR FIRST LEG OF IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS 2 DAYS OLD.
-RECEIVED PHONE CALL FROM A PILOT FLYING IN NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AREA ON 10/31/2021. WHILE AT AN ALTITUDE OF 4500 FEET, AT APPROXIMATELY 1315 TO 1330 LOCAL TIME, PILOT STATED ENCOUNTERING A WHITE V TAIL BONANZA WITH RED STRIPES HEADING SLIGHTLY SOUTHWEST AT APPROXIMATELY 5000 FEET. PILOT COULD NOT VISIBLY SEE REGISTRATION NUMBER. PILOT STATED ADSB INQUIRY DISPLAYED "LIGHT AIRCRAFT." PILOT HAD FLOWN IN AREA TO SOUTHWEST AND ENCOUNTERED ICING CONDITIONS HIGHER THAN 4500 FEET. PILOT STATED ICING APPEARED TO BE LIKE SANDPAPER ON WINGS. PILOT STATED HE TRIED TO RADIO CALL UNKNOWN BONANZA TWICE ON 122.8 TO WARN OF ICING CONDITIONS AHEAD. BOTH RADIO CALLS WENT UNANSWERED. PILOT STATED AIRMET WAS ISSUED FOR THE AREA. PILOT STATED ALTHOUGH WEATHER WAS CLEAR IN AREA OF ENCOUNTER, POOR WEATHER WAS VISIBLE TO THE WEST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.