FTW97FA092

The outboard portion of the right wing of the twin engine airplane impacted a pine tree in mountainous terrain during a night cross country flight. About 12 minutes prior to the accident, while 49 miles short of their intermediate destination, the pilot reported picking up ice at 9,500 feet MSL and reported that he was diverting to El Paso. ATC granted the frequency change to El Paso; however, no further radio calls were received. At 2005, a witness near the accident site, reported hearing the airplane flying at 'tree top level over his house' on a southeast direction. He stated that a low ceiling prevailed, the temperature was just above freezing and snow flurries restricted his visibility. Witnesses traveling on a gravel road adjacent to the accident site reported the lights of the airplane flying at tree top level prior the crash. The auxiliary fuel cell for the right engine was compromised by the initial collision with the pine tree and the 3 remaining tanks were destroyed by post-impact fire. Both fuel selectors were found in the AUX position. No discrepancies were found that would have prevented normal operations. The pilot had accumulated 7.5 hours of flight within the last 12 hours.

History of flight

On January 27, 19997, at 2010 mountain standard time, a Beech 95-B55 twin engine airplane, N47SM, was destroyed upon impact with trees and mountainous terrain while maneuvering near Mayhill, New Mexico. The airplane, owned and operated by the right front seat passenger, was being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The instrument rated commercial pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the business flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The airplane departed from the Goodyear Municipal Airport, in Goodyear, Arizona, at approximately 1724 MST, with the Roswell Industrial Air Center, near Roswell, New Mexico as its intended destination.

The day's flying originated at 0910 CST from the Lakeway Airpark (3R9), located 17 miles west of Austin. The pilot and the owner traveled 377 nautical miles to Roswell (ROW), New Mexico, landing at 1030 MST. The airplane was topped off with 80.4 gallons of 100LL fuel and a passenger boarded. The flight departed ROW at 1055 MST on a 393 mile flight to Goodyear Municipal Airport (GYR), near Phoenix, Arizona, arriving GYR at 1322 MST to attend a business meeting. After topping off the airplane with 85.8 gallons of 100LL fuel, the airplane departed again at 1724 MST for the return flight to ROW to drop off the passenger in the back seat.

According to air traffic control, the pilot contacted the Roswell air traffic control tower at 1950:39 and reported VFR at 9,500 feet MSL, inbound for landing from the west. The pilot was provided the weather and the landing information for the airport and was told to report 15 miles out for runway 03. At 1958:06, the pilot reported that he was 49 DME miles out, and he was picking up ice and returning to El Paso. ATC granted the frequency change to El Paso Approach Control. El Paso Approach Control did not receive any radio calls from the airplane.

At approximately 2005, an off-duty law enforcement officer, who resided approximately 2 miles northwest of the accident site at an elevation of approximately 6,700 feet MSL, reported that he heard the "constant sound of an airplane engine flying at tree top level over his house" traveling on a northwest to southeast direction. He further stated at the time of the over fly, a low ceiling prevailed, the temperature was just above freezing, and the visibility was restricted by snow flurries. The officer stated that he drove in the direction of the airplane's flight and was the first law enforcement officer to arrive at the scene of the accident.

Three members of a family, who were driving home in two separate vehicles on a gravel road (Miller Flats Road) running next to the accident site, reported observing the "lights of the airplane coming towards their vehicle at tree top level" on a southeasterly heading. They reported that the airplane flew about 10 feet over one of the two vehicles, impacted and severed a telephone pole, losing control, subsequently impacting trees and the ground about 40 feet from the road they were on. All of the eyewitnesses concurred that the event happened "so quickly that they could not collaborate on the position of the gear or flaps nor if the propellers were turning."

Personnel information

The instrument rated multiengine pilot was a friend of the airplane's owner. The owner of the airplane did not hold a multiengine rating, and reportedly asked his friend to fly the airplane until such time he became qualified to fly the twin engine airplane. According to the pilot's logbook, he started taking flying lessons at the Reno-Stead Airport, near Reno, Nevada, on October 28, 1968, receiving his commercial certificate on March 8, 1969. On July 6, 1970, he was issued an instrument rating. On March 1, 1973, the pilot completed a 15.4 hour multiengine qualification course of instruction on a Piper PA-23-250 twin engine airplane and was issued a multiengine rating.

According to his logbooks, the pilot first started flying with the owner of the airplane on November 1988, in a Mooney M20C. On February 1, 1995, the pilot received 2.0 hours of training on a Beech BE58. His last BFR was completed on September 11, 1995, in a single engine Piper PA-28. According to the pilot's logbooks, the pilot had accumulated a total of 3,843 hours of flight, of which 19.9 hours were in twin engine airplanes. The pilot logged 2.5 hours and 3 landings in the accident airplane on January 25, two days prior to the accident. The pilot had accumulated a total of 7.5 hours of flight the day of the accident.

The owner of the airplane, who was seated in the right front seat, was a pilot-rated passenger on the 393.1 nautical mile cross country flight. He received his private pilot certificate on July 7, 1989. He owned a Mooney M20C (N70GB) for about 8 years. The last entry in his pilot's logbook was made on March 11, 1996. At that time, he had accumulated a total of 975 hours, of which 962 hours were in single engine airplanes. The bulk of his flight time was accumulated in his Mooney. He did not hold an instrument rating.

The second passenger, an engineer that worked for the same company as the owner of the airplane, was seated in one of the aft cabin seats. He was reported not to have any flying experience. The investigation was unable to determine whether he was occupying the right or left cabin seat.

Aircraft information

The 1965 model twin engine airplane, serial number TC-775, was purchased by the current owner from D-Bar Leasing, Inc., of Abilene, Texas, on January 23, 1997. A pre-purchase inspection was completed on January 16, 1997. Total time on the airframe as of January 24, 1997 was 4,473.9 hours. The right engine had accumulated a total of 43.4 hours since the last overhaul, while the left engine had accumulated a total of 1,139 hours. The airplane had accumulated a total of 41 hours since the last annual inspection which was completed on August 30, 1996, at 4,432.9 total airframe hours.

The airplane was not equipped with a propeller anti-icing system nor surface de-icing boots for the wing and tail surfaces. Additionally, the airplane was not equipped with an auto-pilot system.

During the morning stop at Roswell, the owner of the airplane was reported to have made two phone calls. One to his wife, and another one to the Director of Maintenance for the operator he purchased the airplane from. The owner of the airplane was reported to have asked for the whereabouts of the airplane logbooks, and was told that the logbooks were being shipped to his house that very same day. The airplane's owner also stated that one of the engines was down to 7 quarts and he wanted to know what brand and grade of oil to buy. He also stated that "some kind of red fluid was coming out" of the right propeller hub. The owner was told that a red dye is used in the propeller hub for crack detection, and he told the pilot that if the red dye start coming out, the airplane should not be flown. The owner's wife reported to the IIC that she recalled seeing a red fluid on the right propeller when she first saw the airplane the day before the accident.

Meteorological information

The nearest weather facility from the accident site was the Alamogordo White Sands Regional Airport (ALM) which is located 26 miles to the west. At 2010, the Alamogordo Airport (ALM) reported a broken ceiling at 10,000 feet with a visibility of 10 miles. At 1955, Holloman AFB (HMN), which is located approximately 6 miles west of the Alamogordo Airport, reported scattered layers at 6,000 and 10,000 feet with a visibility of 40 miles. At 1952, the Roswell Industrial Airport (ROW), located approximately 55 nautical miles northeast of the accident site, reported an overcast ceiling at 3,700 feet and 10 miles visibility. At 1950, the Carlsbad Airport (CNM), located 72 nautical miles east-southea