What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Preliminary findings: at approximately 2102 hrs on 05/01/2023, privacy data omitted a Beech A-36 bonanza crashed about 2,337 feet northeast of the runway 26 threshold at Big Bear city airport (L35), bigbear, CA. The aircraft had departed from corona (kajo) after the pilot and one passenger embarked one more person. The flight was in VFR conditions for the duration and no flight plan was on file. After climbing to clear the san bernardino mountains, the flight made a descent to the mountain airport traffic pattern and, based on the location of the crash, turned final approach within about a half-mile of the runway threshold. The aircraft wreckage was located about 2000 feet north of the runway 26 extended centerline, and within one-quarter mile from the threshold. The direction of the ground scar was about 312 degrees magnetic. The wingtips had been torn off or destroyed. The pilot seat was partly outside the left side window. The right seat passenger was in his seat but the door had been slung-open and one leg was protruding from the entry door. The aircraft came to rest only 200 feet from initial impact in an upright position on a heading of 300 degrees. The right-hand wing was completely destroyed due to "end-on" forces crushing and crumpling it. The three occupants were fatally injured. The circumstantial evidence suggests a high angle of bank, low-altitude, high drag turn to final approach in the landing configuration. It is believed that the aircraft stalled and began a snap-roll to the right as it descended to the ground, impacting the RH wing first, generating centrifugal forces about the vertical axis.
As the FAA filed it
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS: AT APPROXIMATELY 2102 HRS ON 05/01/2023, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A BEECH A-36 BONANZA CRASHED ABOUT 2,337 FEET NORTHEAST OF THE RUNWAY 26 THRESHOLD AT BIG BEAR CITY AIRPORT (L35), BIGBEAR, CA. THE AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED FROM CORONA (KAJO) AFTER THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER EMBARKED ONE MORE PERSON. THE FLIGHT WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS FOR THE DURATION AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. AFTER CLIMBING TO CLEAR THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS, THE FLIGHT MADE A DESCENT TO THE MOUNTAIN AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN AND, BASED ON THE LOCATION OF THE CRASH, TURNED FINAL APPROACH WITHIN ABOUT A HALF-MILE OF THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 2000 FEET NORTH OF THE RUNWAY 26 EXTENDED CENTERLINE, AND WITHIN ONE-QUARTER MILE FROM THE THRESHOLD. THE DIRECTION OF THE GROUND SCAR WAS ABOUT 312 DEGREES MAGNETIC. THE WINGTIPS HAD BEEN TORN OFF OR DESTROYED. THE PILOT SEAT WAS PARTLY OUTSIDE THE LEFT SIDE WINDOW. THE RIGHT SEAT PASSENGER WAS IN HIS SEAT BUT THE DOOR HAD BEEN SLUNG-OPEN AND ONE LEG WAS PROTRUDING FROM THE ENTRY DOOR. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ONLY 200 FEET FROM INITIAL IMPACT IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION ON A HEADING OF 300 DEGREES. THE RIGHT-HAND WING WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED DUE TO "END-ON" FORCES CRUSHING AND CRUMPLING IT. THE THREE OCCUPANTS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS A HIGH ANGLE OF BANK, LOW-ALTITUDE, HIGH DRAG TURN TO FINAL APPROACH IN THE LANDING CONFIGURATION. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND BEGAN A SNAP-ROLL TO THE RIGHT AS IT DESCENDED TO THE GROUND, IMPACTING THE RH WING FIRST, GENERATING CENTRIFUGAL FORCES ABOUT THE VERTICAL AXIS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.