What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 6, 2023, at approximately 1752 CST, a 1960 Beechcraft model 35 bonanza; serial number D-6273; registered as privacy data omitted was destroyed when it crashed approximately 3.5 miles from Drake Field in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 recreational flight.
FAA investigator in charge (iic) dispatched to the scene on January 7, 2023 and found the aircraft wreckage confined to a small area on a private property. The aircraft did not sustain fire damage and only moderate fuel smell was evident at the scene.
The aircraft appeared to impact a tree top on the way to the ground but the tree impact did not appear to be a causal factor. According to ground signature marks, the aircraft appeared to impact the ground in a nose-down attitude with the right wing-tip contacting the ground first, followed by the engine, and finally the left wing. All airframe and powerplant components were located at the accident site and there was no evidence of in-flight breakup. The engine and three-bladed propeller were separated from the airframe but remained in-place.
According to adsb data, aircraft departed Drake Field (fyv) (Fayetteville Arkansas) at 21:31:35 zulu (15:31:35 CST) and landed at stuttgart municipal airport (sgt) (stuttgart Arkansas) at 22:28:31 zulu (16:28:31 CST). The aircraft departed sgt at 22:49:53 zulu (16:49:53 CST) and crashed approximately 3.5 miles from fyv at 23:52:34 zulu (17:52:34 CST). Sunset occurred at 17:17 CST.
The flight from fyv to sgt was uneventful. Adsb data seems to show normal flight to sgt. aircraft climb, cruise, descent, and landing seems normal.
During the flight from sgt to fyv, adsb data seems to show normal climb, cruise, and descent flight however, data becomes erratic with fluctuating rate of descent and ground speed approximately 1 minute prior to the crash.
During this time, a witness that was deer hunting approximately 1.5 miles north of the crash site heard the airplane sounding as if it was going to lose power but then “revved up really high.” this cycle occurred 3 or 4 times over a span of 10 – 15 seconds. The witness did not see the airplane nor hear the impact.
On-scene inspection revealed all structural airframe and powerplant components located at the accident site and there was no evidence of in-flight breakup. Engine and propeller were intact and separated from the airframe. Gear and flaps were up. Flight control continuity confirmed.
The engine had approximately 200 hours since overhaul. Engine appeared normal with damage consistent with impact. There were no visual indications of engine failure. Field tests confirmed compressions on all six cylinders. There was no evidence of oil loss in flight.
Sparkplugs and all wires appeared normal with damage consistent with impact. Field tests confirmed both magentos operated normally with spark. There were no visual indications of ignition failure.
The propeller sustained damage consistent with ground impact. Based on blade post-impact damage, it does not appear the propeller was powered when impact with ground.
Fuel tank maintained integrity with no significant fuel leak noted. Left wing had approx. 15 gallons and right wing had approx. 10 gallons. The cockpit fuel selector was positioned to left tank. Fuel did not appear contaminated. Fuel screens contained foreign debris but insufficient to cause a fuel flow restriction. Fuel lines were unobstructed. Fuel diverter lines intact and contained fuel. Fuel injectors undamaged and appeared clear and unobstructed.
The fuel selector was removed for tear-down inspection and the electronic international MVP-50P engine monitor sent for data download.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 6, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 1752 CST, A 1960 BEECHCRAFT MODEL 35 BONANZA; SERIAL NUMBER D-6273; REGISTERED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 3.5 MILES FROM DRAKE FIELD IN FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 RECREATIONAL FLIGHT.
FAA INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE (IIC) DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE ON JANUARY 7, 2023 AND FOUND THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE CONFINED TO A SMALL AREA ON A PRIVATE PROPERTY. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT SUSTAIN FIRE DAMAGE AND ONLY MODERATE FUEL SMELL WAS EVIDENT AT THE SCENE.
THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO IMPACT A TREE TOP ON THE WAY TO THE GROUND BUT THE TREE IMPACT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A CAUSAL FACTOR. ACCORDING TO GROUND SIGNATURE MARKS, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO IMPACT THE GROUND IN A NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE WITH THE RIGHT WING-TIP CONTACTING THE GROUND FIRST, FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE, AND FINALLY THE LEFT WING. ALL AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT COMPONENTS WERE LOCATED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP. THE ENGINE AND THREE-BLADED PROPELLER WERE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME BUT REMAINED IN-PLACE.
ACCORDING TO ADSB DATA, AIRCRAFT DEPARTED DRAKE FIELD (FYV) (FAYETTEVILLE ARKANSAS) AT 21:31:35 ZULU (15:31:35 CST) AND LANDED AT STUTTGART MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (SGT) (STUTTGART ARKANSAS) AT 22:28:31 ZULU (16:28:31 CST). THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED SGT AT 22:49:53 ZULU (16:49:53 CST) AND CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 3.5 MILES FROM FYV AT 23:52:34 ZULU (17:52:34 CST). SUNSET OCCURRED AT 17:17 CST.
THE FLIGHT FROM FYV TO SGT WAS UNEVENTFUL. ADSB DATA SEEMS TO SHOW NORMAL FLIGHT TO SGT. AIRCRAFT CLIMB, CRUISE, DESCENT, AND LANDING SEEMS NORMAL.
DURING THE FLIGHT FROM SGT TO FYV, ADSB DATA SEEMS TO SHOW NORMAL CLIMB, CRUISE, AND DESCENT FLIGHT HOWEVER, DATA BECOMES ERRATIC WITH FLUCTUATING RATE OF DESCENT AND GROUND SPEED APPROXIMATELY 1 MINUTE PRIOR TO THE CRASH.
DURING THIS TIME, A WITNESS THAT WAS DEER HUNTING APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES NORTH OF THE CRASH SITE HEARD THE AIRPLANE SOUNDING AS IF IT WAS GOING TO LOSE POWER BUT THEN “REVVED UP REALLY HIGH.” THIS CYCLE OCCURRED 3 OR 4 TIMES OVER A SPAN OF 10 – 15 SECONDS. THE WITNESS DID NOT SEE THE AIRPLANE NOR HEAR THE IMPACT.
ON-SCENE INSPECTION REVEALED ALL STRUCTURAL AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT COMPONENTS LOCATED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP. ENGINE AND PROPELLER WERE INTACT AND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME. GEAR AND FLAPS WERE UP. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY CONFIRMED.
THE ENGINE HAD APPROXIMATELY 200 HOURS SINCE OVERHAUL. ENGINE APPEARED NORMAL WITH DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH IMPACT. THERE WERE NO VISUAL INDICATIONS OF ENGINE FAILURE. FIELD TESTS CONFIRMED COMPRESSIONS ON ALL SIX CYLINDERS. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF OIL LOSS IN FLIGHT.
SPARKPLUGS AND ALL WIRES APPEARED NORMAL WITH DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH IMPACT. FIELD TESTS CONFIRMED BOTH MAGENTOS OPERATED NORMALLY WITH SPARK. THERE WERE NO VISUAL INDICATIONS OF IGNITION FAILURE.
THE PROPELLER SUSTAINED DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH GROUND IMPACT. BASED ON BLADE POST-IMPACT DAMAGE, IT DOES NOT APPEAR THE PROPELLER WAS POWERED WHEN IMPACT WITH GROUND.
FUEL TANK MAINTAINED INTEGRITY WITH NO SIGNIFICANT FUEL LEAK NOTED. LEFT WING HAD APPROX. 15 GALLONS AND RIGHT WING HAD APPROX. 10 GALLONS. THE COCKPIT FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED TO LEFT TANK. FUEL DID NOT APPEAR CONTAMINATED. FUEL SCREENS CONTAINED FOREIGN DEBRIS BUT INSUFFICIENT TO CAUSE A FUEL FLOW RESTRICTION. FUEL LINES WERE UNOBSTRUCTED. FUEL DIVERTER LINES INTACT AND CONTAINED FUEL. FUEL INJECTORS UNDAMAGED AND APPEARED CLEAR AND UNOBSTRUCTED.
THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS REMOVED FOR TEAR-DOWN INSPECTION AND THE ELECTRONIC INTERNATIONAL MVP-50P ENGINE MONITOR SENT FOR DATA DOWNLOAD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.