MIA02FA039

According to eyewitnesses, the Beech Baron was seen flying in formation, with a Cessna 210 at a low altitude, flying below treetop height and fast. As the formation neared the airport, the Beech closed in on the Cessna as the number two position in a right echelon. The pilot of the lead aircraft estimated that their airspeed at the time he executed his pitch-up was about 190 knots. The flight of two appeared to be flying into the "break," military style, for landings on runway 22. About the mid-point of the 3,000 foot runway, the lead aircraft executed an abrupt pitch up and left bank, and the Beech continued forward, colliding with a tree at the departure end of the runway. Some eyewitnesses stated the Beech went inverted following tree strike. The Beech continued airborne until impacting the rear portion of the roof of a two story manufacturing plant and came to rest about 202 feet beyond the building into a tree and vine thicket, and was consumed by post crash fire. No discrepancies were found with the airframe or the engine.

History of flight

On December 4, 2001, about 1050 eastern standard time, Beech Baron B-55-T42A, N50KF, registered to First Coast Flight Service, Inc., operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed while maneuvering over the Johnson City Stolport, Johnson City, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed, a commercial building received substantial damage, and the commercially-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight departed Abington, Virginia, about 35 minutes before the accident.

According to numerous eyewitnesses, the Baron was seen flying in formation, at times in trail and at times abreast of, a Cessna 210 at a low altitude. As the loose formation neared the Johnson City airport, the Baron closed into a parade formation on the Cessna as the number two position in a right echelon. Witnesses stated the formation was flying below treetop height and fast. The pilot of the lead aircraft estimated that their airspeed at the time he executed his pitch-up was about 190 knots. The flight of two appeared to be flying into the "break", military style, for landings on runway 22. At about midlength or slightly past the midlength point of the 3,000-foot runway, the lead aircraft executed an abrupt pitch up and left bank, and the Baron continued forward, colliding with a tree at the departure end of the runway. Some eyewitnesses stated the Baron went inverted following tree strike. The Baron continued airborne until impacting the rear portion of the roof of a two-story manufacturing plant and came to rest about 202 feet beyond the building into a tree and vine thicket, and was consumed by postcrash fire. The Cessna pilot stated that he saw or heard nothing abnormal until he saw the fire and smoke.

Personnel information

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate for airplane, single-engine land and multiengine land, with instrument rating, airplane. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on September 5, 2000, with no restrictions. Attempts to locate the pilot's personal flight logbook were unsuccessful, but he stated his total flight time as 10,000 hours on his application for his latest medical. The pilot's employer stated the pilot worked as a pilot/salesman for a local aircraft salvage/brokerage in Johnson City. FAA records listed the address of the pilot as Dallas, Texas, however, a Tennessee property data report listed the pilot as having purchased a home in the Johnson City area on April 2, 2001.

Aircraft information

At the time of the accident, the aircraft was being returned to its home base following a prepurchase inspection performed by Mountain Empire Aviation at Virginia Highlands Airport, Abington, Virginia. The prospective buyer had declined the purchase when a review of the airframe logbooks revealed that both wing spars possessed a crack that had been stop-drilled. The cracks appeared not to have been a factor in the accident. Engine compression readings had been checked, and were all within limits. A copy of the prepurchase inspection results are an attachment to this report. Maintenance logs revealed that the aircraft underwent an annual inspection on April 11, 200,1 at a Hobbs hour meter time of 106.1 hours. The Hobbs meter time reported by Mountain Empire Aviation at the time of the prepurchase inspection was 314.2 hours. The Hobbs meter was destroyed in the accident. The total time on the airframe reported at the time of its annual inspection was 9737.9 hours.

Meteorological information

The Aviation Routine Weather Report, (METAR) for 1053 at the Tri-Cities Regional Airport was; clear skies, 10 statue miles visibility, and calm winds. The altimeter setting was 30.42 inches Hg, and the temperature was 51 degrees F, with the dew point 34 degrees F.

The Tri-Cities airport is located northwest of the accident site about 9 statue miles.

Wreckage and impact information

The Baron first collided with a 2-inch diameter branch of a 75 foot hardwood tree at about the 65-foot level, and left its complete left wing tip in the tree. The coordinates of the tree are N36 degrees 21.58 minutes by W082 degrees 18.77 minutes, or about 200 feet from the departure end of pavement of runway 22, slightly left of centerline. Standing on the centerline of runway 22, and looking in the direction of the airplane's path, the perfect outline of the Baron's bottom side was carved in the tree's branches. The path of the aircraft after tree collision continued airborne for 245 feet to a manufacturing plant and over flew most of the 455-feet length of the two-story, flat roofed building, diagonally. Collision between the roof and the aircraft occurred about 53 feet from the rear side of the building, and tore out substantial amounts of aluminum roofing and siding, fiberglass insulation, and fire protection water deluge piping. After leaving pieces of left wing and left wing fuel bladder wedged within the folds of peeled back aluminum roofing, the aircraft yawed left 90 degrees and plunked down behind the building, upright and 90 degrees, (left) from its original direction of flight, bounced, and came to rest 202 feet beyond the building.

The main wreckage site contained only the empennage and most of the right wing and engine nacelle, found upright and in their respective, relative positions. Everything from the nose cone to 40% of the empennage was consumed by post crash fire, except for the charred seat frames. The instrument panel, cockpit console, flight controls, and engine controls were totally consumed. The right wing skin was consumed by fire, leaving wing and nacelle substructure only. The outer 80% of the vertical and horizontal stabilizers escaped burning. The right cockpit entry door and a left cowling half had separated and were found left of the wreckage, unburned. Examination of their respective latches revealed that each was properly secured, precrash. Locations of the left wing pieces were documented, collected, and reassembled on the ground. All parts were accounted for. The heading from tree collision to the wreckage's final resting point was 205 degrees, magnetic. Examination of damage to the building's aluminum roof revealed that the aircraft was between 75 and 120 degrees of left bank at first impact. The left wing, (in numerous pieces) and left engine were separated from the airframe following collision with the building's steel roof trusses. Both engines had separated and crossed paths. Both propellers had separated and were located right of wreckage path centerline, the left propeller at 69 feet, and the right propeller at 110 feet from the rear of the building. The right engine was 78 feet beyond the main wreckage, left of wreckage path centerline, and the left engine was 96 feet beyond the main wreckage, right of centerline. Furthermost along the wreckage path was the right main landing gear at 120 feet beyond the main wreckage. Post crash fire caused a grass fire that scorched grass and weeds for 200 feet back to the building. The grass fire had the appearance of being fuel fed from the fuel spray following the left wing disintegration.

The fuel selector valves were dug out of the main wreckage rubble and disassembled by a Beechcraft investigator. Although all markings were illegible, the internal positioning of the valves revealed that the left engine was being fed by the left main fuel tank. The right fuel selector valve was found positioned between "main" and "crossfeed". Both flap actuator extensions corresponded to a flaps up position. The left aileron trim actuator corresponded to an aileron setting of 2 degrees of up tab. The right elevator trim tab actuator corresponded to a setting of about 5 degrees down tab. The rudder tab actuator corresponded to a setting of zero tab deflection.

The left propeller separated due to a crankshaft fracture aft of th