ERA21LA053

The pilot departed on a personal local flight to test the autopilot system. Two fishermen reported seeing the airplane fly through a flock of seagulls, followed by two birds falling to the water. A third witness stated that he heard a loud noise, then saw the airplane make a left turn followed by two spirals before it impacted terrain. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies of the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. No avian remains were discovered during the postaccident examination; however, it is likely that any remains that may have been present would have been consumed by the significant post-impact fire. Based on the witness statements, it is likely that the airplane collided with birds inflight, after which the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent into terrain.

On November 24, 2020, about 0928 eastern standard time, a Beech V35, N35AW, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Deltaville, Virginia. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot departed on a local flight from Hummel Field Airport (W75), Saluda, Virginia. He was not in contact with air traffic control during the flight. Review of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration revealed that the flight departed W75 about 0905. The airplane tracked on a northeast heading for about 9 miles, then turned right and flew east over the Chesapeake Bay for about 17 miles. The airplane then flew south over the bay for about 14 miles, turned west, and flew northwest toward W75 for about 17 miles. Most of the flight was conducted at an altitude of about 850 ft above ground level (agl); however, the airplane climbed to a maximum altitude of about 1,350 ft agl. The last ADS-B targets were observed about 0928 as the airplane descended through 275 ft about 5 miles from W75. Two fishermen reported seeing the airplane fly through a flock of seagulls. They then saw two birds fall to the water. Shortly thereafter, they observed a plume of black smoke from the accident site. A third witness near the accident site stated that he heard a loud noise then observed the airplane make a left turn followed by two spirals before it impacted terrain. Figure 1 - Airplane's ADS-B flight track and witness location. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The pilot recently had the autopilot system repaired. The purpose of the flight was to test the autopilot. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION A postaccident examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted a shed on a residential property. The wreckage debris path was about 25 ft long and oriented on a magnetic heading of 240°. Ground scars at the accident site and damage to the airplane were consistent with the airplane impacting terrain in a steep, nose-low attitude. A postimpact fire consumed most of the wreckage; however, all major structural components of the airplane were located within the debris field. The engine was separated and located 10 ft from the main wreckage. It sustained impact and fire damage. The engine crankshaft rotated smoothly by manually turning the propeller hub. Two of the propeller blades were separated, one remained attached to the propeller hub. Further examination revealed the left wing sustained leading edge and thermal damage. The right wing was almost completely consumed by fire. The empennage was thermally damaged. No avian remains were discovered during the postaccident examination; however, it is likely that any remains that may have been present would have been consumed by the post-impact fire. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION The Office of the Medical Examiner, Richmond, Virginia, performed an autopsy of the pilot. Thepilot's cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. No significant natural disease was identified. FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory toxicology testing detected Atorvastin and Metoprolol in the fluid. Fluid and specimens tested negative for ethanol. Atorvastatin is a prescription cholesterol lowering medication often marketed as Lipitor. Metoprolol is a blood pressure lowering prescription medication that also helps protect against heart attacks. Neither of the medications is considered impairing.