What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Friday September 5th, around 0623 local, the aircraft, a Beechcraft BE35 with 2 pilots, was flying downwind of rwy 17L when it crashed outside a commerical business area into an industrial sized generator. The aircraft exploded on impact and the 2 pilots were pronounced deceased on scene. According to ADS-B flight data, the aircraft struggled to gain altitude and only reached about 400FT AGL on its turn from crosswind to downwind. This was their 4th touch and go in the pattern. There was no distress call made. The aircraft was destroyed in the post crash fire and the engine was found to have turned 180 degrees and flipped over into the cockpit. Upon further inspection, a plug and strainer appeared to be missing from the fuel throttle control valve. Once the recovery team arrived the follwing day, the plug was found underneath the engine and no evidence of safety wire to the mount was found. The threads inside the throttle control valve appeared to look normal, besides the fire scarring. Flaps were still set to zero. Unable to determine if either pilot made an attempt at an emergency landing.
As the FAA filed it
ON FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 5TH, AROUND 0623 LOCAL, THE AIRCRAFT, A BEECHCRAFT BE35 WITH 2 PILOTS, WAS FLYING DOWNWIND OF RWY 17L WHEN IT CRASHED OUTSIDE A COMMERICAL BUSINESS AREA INTO AN INDUSTRIAL SIZED GENERATOR. THE AIRCRAFT EXPLODED ON IMPACT AND THE 2 PILOTS WERE PRONOUNCED DECEASED ON SCENE. ACCORDING TO ADS-B FLIGHT DATA, THE AIRCRAFT STRUGGLED TO GAIN ALTITUDE AND ONLY REACHED ABOUT 400FT AGL ON ITS TURN FROM CROSSWIND TO DOWNWIND. THIS WAS THEIR 4TH TOUCH AND GO IN THE PATTERN. THERE WAS NO DISTRESS CALL MADE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED IN THE POST CRASH FIRE AND THE ENGINE WAS FOUND TO HAVE TURNED 180 DEGREES AND FLIPPED OVER INTO THE COCKPIT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, A PLUG AND STRAINER APPEARED TO BE MISSING FROM THE FUEL THROTTLE CONTROL VALVE. ONCE THE RECOVERY TEAM ARRIVED THE FOLLWING DAY, THE PLUG WAS FOUND UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE AND NO EVIDENCE OF SAFETY WIRE TO THE MOUNT WAS FOUND. THE THREADS INSIDE THE THROTTLE CONTROL VALVE APPEARED TO LOOK NORMAL, BESIDES THE FIRE SCARRING. FLAPS WERE STILL SET TO ZERO. UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF EITHER PILOT MADE AN ATTEMPT AT AN EMERGENCY LANDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.