MIA00FA048

The flight departed with full fuel tanks; witnesses along the route of flight reported hearing sputtering sounds that lasted for approximately 5 seconds, followed by the throttles being reduced and the airplane decelerating. The airplane was observed to enter a right spin and according to a pilot-rated witness, the airplane was in a right spin when he first observed the airplane; the engines were at 'full throttle.' The airplane stopped spinning after 2 spins then appeared to begin to recover from the nose low attitude. A witness immediately adjacent to the crash site reported seeing a 2 foot by 4 foot object separate from the airplane during the nose low descent. He also reported the engines sounded like they were at full throttle and the airplane appeared to pitch up just before the impact. Examination of the airframe, flight controls, engines and engine accessories, and propellers revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Maintenance records were not recovered. A piece of acrylic and a white plastic item were located approximately 175 yards north of the impact sight; the acrylic was not the same thickness of the windshield or cabin door window. The cabin and cargo door were impact damaged.

History of flight

On December 11, 1999, about 1550 central standard time (all times central standard time), a Cessna U-3A, N8063X, registered to a private individual, crashed into a field near Brooksville, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was destroyed and the airline transport-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight originated about 1335, from the Moore-Murrell Airport, Morristown, Tennessee.

According to several witnesses, clear weather conditions existed about the time of the accident near the accident site. A witness who was located approximately 3 miles north of the accident site reported hearing the airplane pass over; the noise was loud. She never saw the airplane though she thought it was traveling south. As the airplane got far away, she then heard popping sounds that continued for approximately 5 seconds.

A witness who is familiar with aviation and was located approximately 1.25 miles north of the accident site reported that he looked up after hearing the airplane and it appeared to decelerate. He reported that the airplane then "stalled" and spun 5 or 6 times then recovered "with the engines running wide open...." The airplane then disappeared behind trees. According to the witnesses' father who is a pilot, his son alerted him to look at the airplane. The father reported that he estimated the airplane was at 2,000 feet above ground level (agl), in a "...nose down spiral at "full throttle. After about two more turns the aircraft quit spinning (spiraling) and continued straight down at full throttle for another 4-500 feet after which it started pulling out of its dive." He reported that the airplane disappeared behind a tree line and "we saw a huge ball of fire & heard the rumble of the explosion & impact. The engines both sounded strong up to the point of impact." Copies of the witness statements are attachments to this report.

A witness who owns the property where the airplane crashed was outside and heard the engine(s) "rev up." He first noticed that the airplane was descending nearly vertical and noted an object that appeared to be 2 feet by 4 feet separate. The engines sounded like they were at full throttle and he observed that the nose of the airplane began to pitch up just before impact with the ground. The witness observed a fireball after the ground impact. A copy of the witness statement is an attachment to this report.

Personnel information

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot was the holder of an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane multiengine land rating. He was the holder of a commercial pilot certificate with the rating airplane single engine land, and also the holder of a certified flight instructor (CFI) certificate with ratings airplane single and multiengine, and instrument airplane. The pilot's last flight review and instrument proficiency check were accomplished on October 22, 1999. He was issued a second class medical certificate with no restrictions on April 13, 1999. He was also the holder of an airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate.

According to his pilot logbooks, he had logged a total of 13,545 hours total time, of which 3,452 hours were in multi-engine airplanes. He logged as pilot-in-command a total of 13,383 hours. Between January 5, 1999, and December 9, 1999, he logged a total of 67.7 hours in a Cessna 310 airplane that was registered to Netherland Flying Service, Inc. According to the pilot's wife, they owned that airplane for 10-11 years.

Aircraft information

The airplane registration number was assigned on October 15, 1979; the airplane was previously a military airplane. The last registered owner of the airplane was Mr. Hershel W. Dockery; his registration application was dated September 30, 1993.

According to an FAA airworthiness inspector, the FAA registry file did not contain any documentation that an airworthiness certificate had ever been issued for the airplane. The FAA inspector interviewed the previous owners of the airplane, a copy of his inspector statement is an attachment to this report.

Work performed by the person who purchased the airplane from the registered owner included replacing the propellers, headliner, and 1/8-inch thick cabin door window purchased from Great Lakes Aero Products.

The seller of the airplane stated to an FAA inspector that the pilot inspected the airplane maintenance records and also looked the airplane over. The auxiliary fuel tanks were full and the main fuel tanks were not full. He suggested to the accident pilot to fly to Morristown to purchase fuel. He also advised the FAA inspector that he video recorded the departure.

Located at the accident site were the covers of engine logbooks, no pages that contained entries were recovered or located. No other permanent maintenance records were located.

Meteorological information

A METAR weather observation taken at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport at 1555 hours indicates that the wind was calm, the visibility was 10 statute mile, the sky condition was clear, the temperature and dew point were 59 degrees and approximately 44 degrees Fahrenheit respectively, and the altimeter setting was 30.08 inHg. The crash site was located approximately 12 nautical miles nearly due south of the Golden Triangle Regional Airport.

Communications

There were no known recorded transmissions from the accident pilot to Columbus Approach Control immediately prior to, or during the in-flight loss of control.

Wreckage and impact information

The airplane crashed on private property located in Brooksville, Mississippi; the crash site was determined using a portable global positioning system receiver (GPS) to be located at 33 degrees 14.959 minutes North latitude and 088 degrees 34.441 minutes West longitude. That location when plotted was approximately 311 nautical miles from the departure airport. An approximate 77- acre field was located immediately east of the crash site.

Examination of the accident site revealed ground scars from the wingtips of both wings inboard to the engine nacelles. Craters 2-foot deep associated with both engines was noted. The ground scar made by both wings was oriented on a magnetic heading of 206 degrees (See photograph No. 4). Fire damage to grass was noted for a distance of 81 feet forward of the initial impact ground scar. The main wreckage consisting of both wings with the right engine, the fuselage and empennage was located approximately 35 feet from the initial impact location (See photograph No. 2). Wreckage was scattered for a distance of 185 feet forward of the main wreckage; the cargo door, three pieces of the cabin door, foul weather window assembly, and portable global positioning system (GPS) receiver were located among the wreckage forward of the main wreckage.

Examination of the wreckage revealed that the left and right wings were fragmented; the fuselage was destroyed. Evidence of postaccident fire damage was noted to the area near the left auxiliary fuel tank (See photograph No. 5). No evidence of postaccident fire damage was noted to the area near the right auxiliary fuel tank (See photograph No. 6). The left fuel tank selector position could not be determined; the right fuel tank selector position was near the "main" tank port (See photograph No. 10). All flight control surfaces were located in the immediate vicinity of the accident site; all counterweights were located on the control surface or in the immediate vicinity of the accident site. Elevator and rudder flight control cable continuity was confirmed from the rear bellcrank and horn assembly near the flight control surfaces to the cockpit. Evidence of overload failure of the left and right aileron control cables were noted