CHI07FA045

The airplane, piloted by an instrument rated private pilot, was destroyed on impact with trees and terrain while being vectored on a missed approach. An instrument flight plan was on file and was activated. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the destination airport at the time of the accident. However, instrument conditions were reported at approach altitudes. In a transmission with the air traffic controller during the flight, the pilot stated he was "disorientated" and he confirmed that the "trouble" was not with the airplane. Plotted radar data showed that the airplane descended below altitudes the airplane was being vectored on and below published altitudes for the precision approach. The air traffic controller cancelled the approach clearance and gave a missed approach clearance to climb. The data showed that the airplane did an undirected 360-degree turn while being vectored and another undirected turn near the accident site. The pilot had accumulated 366 hours of total flight time. He had accumulated 29.1 hours of night flight time, 54.1 hours of simulated instrument flight time, and 14.3 hours of actual instrument flight time. He logged 3.9 hours of actual instrument flight time and four instrument approaches in the six months prior to the accident. The pilot's logbook did not contain an instrument competency check. The recorded weather at the destination was: Wind 210 degrees at 6 knots; visibility 9 statute miles; sky condition few clouds 500 feet, overcast 1,800 feet; temperature 16 degrees C; dew point 14 degrees C; altimeter 29.95 inches of mercury; remarks drizzle began about 27 minutes before the accident and ended about 16 minutes before the accident. An on-scene investigation was conducted and no airframe or engine pre-impact anomalies were detected.

History of flight

On December 22, 2006, about 2136 eastern standard time, a Beech A36, N3704B, piloted by an instrument rated private pilot, was destroyed on impact with trees and terrain while being vectored on a missed approach north of the Lovell Field Airport (CHA), near Chattanooga, Tennessee. The personal flight was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. An instrument flight plan was on file and was activated. Night visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from the Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV), near Gainesville, Florida, about 1850 and was destined for CHA.

A transcript of conversations on a Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) approach control frequency for CHA, in part, stated:

Party making transmission Abbreviation

Bonanza N3704B N3704B

CHA Approach Control at Position 002, East ARE

Continental Express, BTA8133 BTA8133

CHA Approach Control at Position 002

Relieving Controller, East CPC1

Cirrus N609KG N609KG

Unknown UNK

2108:38 N3704B chattanooga bonanza three seven zero four bravo is with

you level six thousand

2108:42 ARE bonanza three seven zero four bravo Chattanooga approach

Chattanooga altimeter two niner niner five verify oscar

2108:49 N3704B two niner niner five and i do have oscar

2108:52 ARE roger

2108:55 N3704B let me know when i can start down zero four bravo

2108:58 ARE november zero four bravo expect lower in about three miles

you're not quite in my airspace

2110:16 ARE november zero four bravo descend at pilot's discretion

maintain four thousand

21210:20 N3704B alright ah zero four bravo down to four thousand

2117:16 ARE november zero four bravo descend at pilot's discretion

maintain three thousand

2117:21 N3704B alright down to three thousand zero four bravo

2117:30 N3704B ah chattanooga confirm ah i l s [instrument landing system] two zero

2117:34 ARE november zero four bravo affirmative

2117:44 ARE november zero four bravo did you copy

2117:47 N3704B yeah affirmative ah i l s two zero zero four bravo

2121:23 ARE november zero four bravo turn right heading zero two zero

vector to final approach course

2121:27 N3704B (unintelligible) right to zero two zero for vectors zero four

bravo

2122:03 ARE november zero four bravo maintain three thousand verify at

three thousand

2122:08 N3704B ah negative i was descending there sorry

2122:10 ARE november zero four bravo climb and maintain three

thousand

2122:14 N3704B alright up to three (unintelligible)

2122:21 ARE november zero four bravo say altitude

2122:24 N3704B three thousand zero four bravo

2122:26 ARE roger

2123:11 ARE november zero four bravo say altitude

2123:21 ARE november zero four bravo say altitude

2123:23 N3704B (unintelligible) little disorientated

2123:25 ARE november zero four bravo are you able to climb to three

thousand

2123:28 N3704B yeah i'm getting back to three thousand just a little

disorientated here

2123:31 ARE november zero four bravo do you need any assistance

2123:35 N3704B (unintelligible) ah i think i got it back under control

2123:39 ARE november zero four bravo you're not experiencing any

icing or anything

2123:42 N3704B ah negative

2123:48 UNK (unintelligible)

2123:57 ARE november zero four bravo do you have the aircraft under

control

2124:01 N3704B ah yeah yeah i got it under control

2124:04 ARE november zero four bravo are you on level flight

2124:09 N3704B yeah yeah i'm level

2124:12 ARE november zero four bravo roger when able say heading

2124:17 N3704B o k i'm ah on a north heading

2124:20 ARE november zero four bravo roger continue current heading

just maintain three thousand

2124:25 N3704B north and ah three thousand zero four bravo

2124:52 ARE november zero four bravo fly heading zero two zero

2124:57 N3704B alright turning to zero two zero zero four bravo

2125:09 ARE and november zero four bravo you're not having any

trouble with the aircraft are you

2125:12 N3704B no no no I just got a little disorientated there

2125:16 ARE roger it's ah yourself is disorientated not the not trouble

with the plane correct

2125:20 N3704B correct

2125:21 ARE november zero four bravo roger er you think you'll be able

to land the plane or do you need to fly around a little bit

and clear your head

2125:27 N3704B ah let me just clear my head a little bit here

2125:30 ARE november zero four bravo roger continue on the zero two

zero heading and maintain three thousand or would you

like to climb back up

2125:36 N3704B i'm gonna try an maintain three thousand on a zero two

zero heading zero four bravo

2125:41 ARE november zero four bravo roger maintain block altitude

three thousand to four thousand

2125:46 N3704B alright zero four bravo three thousand

2126:04 ARE november zero four bravo are you in the clouds or are you

ah v m c

2126:08 N3704B i'm ah full i m c here

2126:11 ARE november zero four bravo i'm sorry v m c or i m c

2126:14 N3704B i m c zero four bravo

2126:15 ARE november zero four bravo roger

2126:25 ARE november zero four bravo would you like to ah climb up

and ah try to get ah v m c or do you wanna stay in that alt

that altitude

2126:33 N3704B i think i'm o k zero two zero on the heading and i'm at

thirty three hundred i'll go down to three thousand

2126:40 ARE november zero four bravo roger

2126:43 BTA8133 an ah jetlink eighty one thirty three we we're [i m c] we were

v m c about ah five thousand feet ah ah probably about five

miles south of the field

2126:50 ARE jetlink eighty one thirty three thank you sir

2127:17 ARE november zero four bravo fly heading three six zero

2127:20 N3704B alright three six zero on the heading zero four bravo

2127:37 ARE and november zero four bravo let me know if you start to

feel disorientated again

2127:41 N3704B o k i think i'm ah i think i've got it under control now ah

down to three thousand on a ah zero zero zero heading

2127:48 UNK (unintelligible)

2128:33 ARE november zero four bravo turn left heading three three

zero

2128:38 N3704B left to three three zero zero four bravo

2129:07 ARE november zero four bravo i'm gonna take you out a little

bit farther (unintelligible) nice slow turn on to the localizer

2129:12 N3704B o k thanks zero four bravo

2130:27 ARE november zero four bravo turn left heading a two niner zero

2130:31 N3704B left to two niner zero zero four bravo

2130:51 ARE november zero four bravo continue left turn heading two

seven zero

2130:55 N3704B alright left to two seven zero

2131:01 ARE november zero four bravo the ah about fifteen minutes ago

the last regional jet inbound broke out about twenty one

hundred

2131:08 N3704B o k great zero four bravo

2131:35 ARE november zero four bravo turn left heading ah two five zero

2131:39 N3704B alright two five zero zero four bravo

2131:51 ARE november zero four bravo are you still feeling alright

2131:54 N3704B yeah i'm feeling fine now

2131:55 ARE november zero four bravo turn left heading ah two three

zero

2131:58 N3704B (unintelligible) two three zero zero four bravo

2132:22 ARE november zero four bravo five miles from hixon maintain

two thousand five hundred until established on the localizer

cleared i l s runway two zero approach

2132:31 N3704B o k ah maintain two thousand ah five hundred til

established on the localizer cleared i l s two zero zero four

bravo

2132:44 ARE and november zero four bravo turn right heading ah two

four five short