# NTSB ATL02FA160: Beech BE-55, N132WM, Jacksboro, TN, August 20, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: August 20, 2002, 11:03 local (15:03 UTC) - Place: Jacksboro, TN - Coordinates: 36.336112, -84.125274 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.3361&lon=-84.1253&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report July 23, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Hartzell Propellers Inc., Nashville FSDO-3, Raytheon Aircraft Company, Teledyne Continental Motors - NTSB case key (mKey): 55527 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL02FA160 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55527/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55527 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL02FA160 ## Probable cause Pilot incapacitation due to a heart attack resulting in a loss of control and the subsequent in-flight collision with a lake. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering - aircraft control - not possible, pilot in command - incapacitation, pilot in command (cause) - incapacitation(cardiovascular), pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - water ## Analysis The commercial-rated pilot radioed that he had the airport in sight, but the aircraft passed by the airport, descended and collided with a lake. Examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assemblies, and accessories revealed no deficiencies. Postmortem examination of the pilot revealed severe coronary arteriosclerosis with a total occlusion of the right coronary artery, greater than 90 percent stenosis by atherosclerortic plaque of the left anterior descending coronary artery, and 50 percent stenosis by calcified atherosclerotic plaque of the left circumflex coronary artery. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 20, 2002, about 1103 eastern daylight time, a Beech BE-55, N132WM, registered to a private owner operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, collided with water about 2 miles east of Campbell County Airport, Jacksboro, Tennessee, about 3 minutes after the pilot indicated that he had the airport in sight and cancelled an instrument flight rules flight plan with Atlanta Center. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from Warren County Memorial Airport, McMinnville, Tennessee, at 1029. A witness stated he was sitting on his back porch about 100 yards above and overlooking Lake Norris when he heard a twin-engine airplane approaching his location. He heard a sound as if the airplane lost one engine. He looked up and observed the airplane descending in a 75-degree nose down attitude. He went inside his home, called 911 and informed them that an airplane had crashed in the vicinity of Indian River boat dock. Two other witnesses stated they were standing in their back yard, located about 400 yards north northeast of Lake Norris. The airplane was traveling from the northwest to the southeast. The airplane made a left turn estimated at a 45-degree bank, the nose of the airplane was observed to pitch down, and the airplane descended out of view. One engine sounded like it was missing, the engine quit, restarted for a second, followed by a metal-to-metal sound. Then there was silence, followed by an impact. According to Nashville Automated Flight Service Station the pilot called at 1010, requested a weather briefing and filed an instrument flight rules flight plan to Jacksboro. The Atlanta Center Watch Supervisor stated review of transcripts revealed the pilot contacted Memphis Center at 1035 and cancelled the instrument clearance with Atlanta Center at 1100. The pilot stated he had the airport in sight and wanted to know if they had any traffic. The pilot was informed there was no traffic and to squawk 1200, and frequency change was approved. Review of radar data obtained from Atlanta Center and Knoxville Terminal Radar Approach Control revealed the airplane over flew the airport at 4,900 feet while descending heading north east at 11:00:53. The airplane was observed at 3,800 feet making a left turn at 11:02:06. At 11:02:48, the airplane was observed in a left turn at 2,700 feet and passed by the approach end of runway 23 at Jacksboro. The airplane was last observed on radar at 11:03:20, at 2,200 feet before it collided with the lake. PERSONNEL INFORMATION Review of information on file with the FAA Airman's Certification Division, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed the pilot was issued a commercial pilot certificate on August 26, 1977, with ratings for airplane single engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. The pilot was issued a flight instructor certificate on April 28, 2000, with ratings for airplane single and multiengine, instrument airplane. The pilot's last recorded biennial flight review was conducted on July 10, 2002. The pilot held a second-class medical certificate issued on December 4, 2001 with the medical restriction "holder shall possess glasses for near and intermediate vision." The pilot indicated on his application for the second-class medical certificate that he had accumulated 20,000 hours total flight time with 185 hours flown in the last six months. Review of the pilot's logbook revealed he had a total of 3,018.1 hours, and 296 hours in the Beech BE-55. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION Review of aircraft maintenance records revealed the last recorded annual inspection was completed on February 18, 2002, and the airplane had accumulated 80.1 hours since the annual inspection. The right main landing gear up lock cable was replaced on August 19, 2002, at Hobbs time 198.7, and the total airplane time was 5,239.0 hours. The right engine was overhauled February 8, 2000. The right propeller was overhauled on December 14, 1999. The right propeller assembly was not recovered. The airframe Hobbs indicator read 0200.2 hours at the crash site. The altimeters, transponder, altitude reporting and static system test were conducted on May 14, 2001. Review of refueling records on file at Oconee County Airport, Clemson, South Carolina revealed the pilot's airplane was topped off with 49.3 gallons of aviation 100 low lead fuel on August 16, 2002, and the airplane did not fly again until the day of the accident. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION The nearest weather reporting facility at the time of the accident was Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The 1053 surface weather observation was: wind calm, visibility 9 miles, a few clouds at 500 feet, temperature 77 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point temperature 73 degrees Fahrenheit. The Geostationary Operations Environmental Satellite Number 8 visible image at 1045 depicted an area of low stratiform clouds and fog surrounding the Jacksboro area with the airport relatively clear of the clouds and fog. The area approximately 1 mile east over the accident site however, was obscured by the low stratiform clouds and or fog. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The wreckage was located in 50 feet of water in Lake Norris, about two miles east of Campbell County Airport, Jacksboro, Tennessee. Examination of the crash site revealed the nose section was separated from the fuselage and was not recovered. The firewall and attached instrument panel was separated from the fuselage. The fuselage from the firewall aft to the rear carry through structure sustained accordion compression damage. The left cabin wall was separated from the fuselage extending aft to the rear carry through structure. The right cabin sidewall and main cabin door were missing and not recovered. The fuselage floor separated from the rear carry through structure. The left and right fuselage extending aft from the rear baggage compartment to the tail cone was intact. The empennage remained attached to the rear fuselage. The left wing was pushed aft. The front spar separated six inches outboard from the wing attachment fitting, and the rear spar separated from the rear carry through structure. The leading edge of the left wing sustained accordion crushing extending from the wing root outboard to the wing tip. The rear wing panel inboard of the left engine nacelle sustained diagonal crushing. The flaps and ailerons remained attached to the left wing. The flaps and landing gear were extended to the full down position. The left main fuel tank and the left auxiliary fuel tanks were ruptured. The left engine assembly separated from the engine mount. Examination of the left engine revealed the propeller and crankshaft propeller flange were separated from the crankshaft. The engine assembly exhibited impact damage. The oil sump was crushed upward with a small inward puncture. The fuel manifold valve was intact and trace fuel was present in the bottom half of the valve. The fuel injector lines were intact, unobstructed, and a trace of fuel was present in the No. 1 injector line. All fuel nozzles were open and unobstructed. The engine was rotated by hand and valve and drive train continuity was confirmed to all cylinders except cylinder No. 5. A thumb compression check was performed and compression and suction was confirmed on all cylinders except for cylinder No. 5. The intake valves and springs sustained impact damage. The left and right magnetos were intact and contained water. When turned by a drill, both magnetos produced sparks from all ignition towers. The engine was totally disassembled and no abnormalities were observed. Examination of the left propeller revealed the left propeller flange and attaching bolts were intact but the engine shaft was fractured about three inches from the flange. The No. 1 blade had rotated in its clamp approximatel ## Aircraft - Registration: [N132WM](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N132WM-2003-01-10), registration cancelled 2003-01-10, S/N TC-519, built 1963 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Beech BE-55 - Registry model: [Beech 95-B55 (T42A)](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-95-b55-t42a) (registry code 1152706) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental I0-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (registry code 17027, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: TC519 - Airframe hours: 5240 - Engines: Continental IO-470-L 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Stuart G. Brooks - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, February 18, 2002, 80 hours before - Departed: RNC, McMinnville, TN - Destination: JAU, Jacksboro, TN - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; injuries: fatal; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review July 10, 2002; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 20,000 total, 296 in this make and model, 55 in the last 90 days, 18 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 9 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 72 °F - Altimeter: 30.12 inHg - Observed at: OQT, 20 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020820026389A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020820026389A), Aug 20, 2002: Beech 95B55, Jacksboro, TN, Destroyed, 1 fatal. (-23) On August 20, 2002, about 1103 eastern daylight time, a Beech BE-55, N132WM, registered to a stuart gale brooks operating as a 14CFR part 91 personal… ## Docket (27 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 10, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55527. 13.0 MB in all. - Maps or Charts of Accident Area, Wreckage Diagrams (item 1, .PDF, 374 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40166390&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maps%20or%20Charts%20of%20Accident%20Area,%20Wreckage%20Diagrams-Master.PDF - Meteorology 5 - Factual Report of Group Chairman (item 2, .PDF, 3.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40167535&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Meteorology%205%20-%20Factual%20Report%20of%20Group%20Chairman-Master.PDF - Medical Records Information (item 3, .PDF, 6 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40171006&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Medical%20Records%20Information-Master.PDF - Supplement A (item 4, .PDF, 130 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182822&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20A-Master.PDF - Supplement B (item 5, .PDF, 182 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182823&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20B-Master.PDF - ATC Transcripts (item 6, .PDF, 178 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376609&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=ATC%20Transcripts-Redacted.PDF - Extract Pilot's Operating Handbook (item 7, .PDF, 74 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376613&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Extract%20Pilot%27s%20Operating%20Handbook-Redacted.PDF - Hartzell Metallurgy Report (item 8, .PDF, 237 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376615&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Hartzell%20Metallurgy%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Hartzell Propeller Aircraft Accident Report (item 9, .PDF, 525 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376617&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Hartzell%20Propeller%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Extract Pilot Medical Certificate (item 10, .PDF, 195 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376618&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Extract%20Pilot%20Medical%20Certificate-Redacted.PDF - Extract Refueling Records (item 11, .PDF, 164 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182833&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Extract%20Refueling%20Records-Redacted.PDF - Extract Airplane Logbooks (item 12, .PDF, 1.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376619&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Extract%20Airplane%20Logbooks-Redacted.PDF - Extract Pilot Logbook (item 13, .PDF, 253 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182836&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Extract%20Pilot%20Logbook-Master.PDF - Wreckage Release (item 14, .PDF, 149 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376620&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Wreckage%20Release-Redacted.PDF - Toxicology Report (item 15, .PDF, 52 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376621&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicology%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (item 16, .PDF, 59 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376622&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20of%20Party%20Representatives%20to%20NTSB%20Investigation-Redacted.PDF - Extract Campbell County Sheriff Office Offense Report (item 17, .PDF, 4.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376623&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Extract%20Campbell%20County%20Sheriff%20Office%20Offense%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Photo 1 - View of crash site. (item 18, .PDF, 159 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182845&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20View%20of%20crash%20site.-Master.PDF - Photo 2 - Front view of N132WM after recovery. (item 19, .PDF, 226 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182846&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20-%20Front%20view%20of%20N132WM%20after%20recovery.-Master.PDF - Photo 3 - View of N132WM cockpit area. (item 20, .PDF, 230 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182847&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20-%20View%20of%20N132WM%20cockpit%20area.-Master.PDF - Photo 4 - View of N132WM power plant controls. (item 21, .PDF, 191 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182848&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%204%20-%20View%20of%20N132WM%20power%20plant%20controls.-Master.PDF - Photo 5 - Right side view of N132WM. (item 22, .PDF, 180 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182849&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%205%20-%20Right%20side%20view%20of%20N132WM.-Master.PDF - Photo 6 - Rear view of N231WM. (item 23, .PDF, 188 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182850&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%206%20-%20Rear%20view%20of%20N231WM.-Master.PDF - Photo 7 - Left rear view of N132WM. (item 24, .PDF, 187 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182851&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%207%20-%20Left%20rear%20view%20of%20N132WM.-Master.PDF - Photo 8 - View of N132WM on recovery barge. (item 25, .PDF, 181 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182852&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%208%20-%20View%20of%20N132WM%20on%20recovery%20barge.-Master.PDF - Photo 9 - View of N132WM right engine during examination. (item 26, .PDF, 184 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182853&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%209%20-%20View%20of%20N132WM%20right%20engine%20during%20examination.-Master.PDF - Photo 10 - View of N132WM left engine during examination. No negative available. Photo provided by Teledyne Continental. (item 27, .PDF, 204 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40182854&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2010%20-%20View%20of%20N132WM%20left%20engine%20during%20examination.%20%20No%20negative%20available.%20%20Photo%20provided%20by%20Teledyne%20Continental.-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.