- Date
- November 20, 2011, 18:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lusby, MD
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9569QBeech V35
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111120028449A
- Case key
- 82350
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot did not maintain clearance from trees during a night approach.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that, during the night flight, he made an initial pass to locate the airfield and to turn on the runway lights via the radio. He rejected the first approach when he lost sight of the landing area. He visually reacquired the field and began his second approach. During the second approach, he saw the runway lights from the approach end to the departure end and the windsock to the left of the runway. He recalled that he felt that the airplane was slightly low. He stated that, while he was on what he believed was short final, trees appeared in front of the windscreen, and trees limbs and branches began to hit the airplane. The airplane began to severely vibrate and shimmy, so the pilot reduced power and pushed the yoke forward to force the airplane onto the ground. The airplane collided with the ground, and the airframe was substantially damaged.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that during a night flight he made an initial pass to locate the airfield and turn on the runway lights via radio. The first approach was aborted when he lost sight of the landing area. He visually re-acquired the field and began his second approach. During the second approach, he saw the runway lights from the approach end to the departure end and the wind sock to the left of the runway. He recalled that he felt slightly low during the approach. On what he believed was short final, he stated that trees appeared in front of the windscreen. Trees limbs and branches began to hit the airplane. The airplane began to severely vibrate and shimmy, so the pilot reduced power and pushed the yoke forward to force the airplane on the ground. The airplane collided with the ground and the airframe was substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9569Q
- Reported as
- Beech V35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-8204
- Airframe hours
- 4,277
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hefron William K
- Registered owner
- Hefron William K
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2011
- Departed
- IGQ · Lansing, IL
- Destination
- MD50 · Lusby, MD
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MD50 · Chesapeake Ranch Airport, runway 13, 2,500 × 50 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 14, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,149 total · 23 in this make and model · 2,042 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- NHK, 3 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 28, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.