MIA99FA245

At 0314, the pilot reported to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower that he wanted to divert from his destination to land at a closer airport, and was cleared for a visual approach. At 0325, the pilot issued a "Mayday." On final approach the airplane struck a building and wires about 1/2 mile short of the runway. Witnesses that saw the airplane just before impact said that the airplane was low, there was no in-flight fire, and the engine sounds "...appeared to be a fluttering sound as if air [was] passing through the propeller." The pilot had filed for a cruise altitude of 15,000 feet, with a time en route of 5 hours, and fuel on board 6 hours. Weight and balance calculations showed that the pilot was operating about 722 pounds above the maximum gross weight for the takeoff, climb, and maximum cruise power settings. The Pilot Operating Handbook calculations showed that most of the fuel would have been used during the flight. The engine and propeller examinations revealed that both engines were not producing power at impact (windmilling). There were no discrepancies found with the engines or propellers. Examination of the propellers revealed that they were not in the feather position and they were not in beta/reverse position. Line personnel at the departure airport confirmed that all the tanks were topped off (282 gallons added). It took the flight 32 minutes to reach a cruise altitude of 15,000 feet, which calculated to about 293.3 pounds (1 gallon of Jet "A" equals 6.7 pounds), and a flight time of 4.9 hours from takeoff to impact. Sample calculations indicated that the fuel burn rate would have caused the airplane to use 2,649.3 pounds of Jet "A" turbine fuel during the flight. The flight departed with all tanks full 384 gallons usable (2,572.8 pounds), which calculates to insufficient fuel for the completion of the flight. Two gallons of fuel was drained from the right nacelle tank at the crash site, and there was no evidence of in-flight leakage. The sample calculations do not consider performance degradation for operating the airplane above the maximum allowable gross weight, which would cause the fuel consumption to go up because more power was required for the over weight conditions. The pilot's flight plan was for economy cruise, plus the airplane was over gross weight at takeoff, and there are no performance charts for that condition. So, the performance was even poorer than shown on the maximum power chart for climb and cruise. Calculations of the maximum allowable fuel that could be on board the aircraft showed that only 1851 pounds of turbine fuel could be carried to start the flight at the maximum allowable weight, or about 3.2 hours of flight. The en route winds aloft at the airplane's altitude indicated a slight tailwind for half the flight and a headwind of about 15 knots for the remainder of the flight.

History of flight

On September 3, 1999, about 0325 eastern daylight time, a Beech B-90, N338AS, call sign Lifeguard 8AS, registered to CP Horizons Corporation, struck a building (pool warehouse) and crashed while on approach to Palm Beach International Airport, West Palm Beach, Florida, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 corporate flight. Visual meteorological conditions were reported, and an IFR flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. There were no injuries to anyone on the ground. The airline transport-rated pilot-in-command, pilot/owner/passenger, seated in the right front seat, and six passengers were fatally injured. The flight had originated at 2231 from Pontiac, Michigan, en route to Boca Raton, Florida.

According to the flight plan, the pilot filed for a cruise altitude of 15,000 feet, with a time en route of 5 hours, and fuel on board 6 hours. The flight proceeded without incident until 0314, when the pilot of N338AS made initial contact with the Palm Beach Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower, and was told that there was no weather information for Boca Raton.

Air traffic control recorded the following flight sequence before radio contact was established with West Palm Beach Tower.

At 2201, the pilot of N338AS called Lansing Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) by phone and filed an IFR plan for a flight from Pontiac, Michigan to Boca Raton, Florida, and received the clearance at 2226, from Pontiac Clearance delivery. The initial clearance was issued "via the Pontiac 8 Departure, direct, maintain 3,000.

At 2231, Pontiac Tower cleared N338AS for takeoff on Runway 27L.

At 2244, the flight was cleared to 15,000 feet. At 2248, the pilot reported to the Cleveland ARTCC (Air Route Traffic Control Center), Litchfield (LFD) sector that he was leaving 13,000 for 15,000, and reported to the Cleveland ARTCC, Carleton Sector (CRL-R) at 2303, that he was at 15,000 feet.

There were three frequency changes from 2303 until 0112 when the pilot of N338AS made initial radio contact with Jacksonville Center, Sector R72, level at 15,000 feet, and he was given the Savannah, Georgia, altimeter setting.

At 0237, the pilot made radio contact with Miami ARTCC and was issued a clearance direct Boca Ration. At 0302, Miami assigned the flight an altitude of 6,000 feet.

At 0314, the flight was handed off to Palm Beach Tower, and the pilot reported on frequency that he was descending from 7,000 to 6,000 feet.

At 0323, the pilot radioed, "...we'd like to land at Palm Beech International if we can." The flight was cleared to 1,500 feet, the pilot was told that the airport was at his 10 to 11 o'clock position, at 5 miles, and was asked if he had the airport in sight. He answered "affirmative," was cleared for a visual approach to runway 13, told that the winds were calm, and was cleared to land.

At 0325:27, a radio transmission came from the flight, "...Alpha Sierra, we need, ah, we got MAYDAY, A/Sierra...MAYDAY."

At 0325.40, a sheriff's department helicopter reported to the control tower that they had sited the aircraft wreckage, and requested that the fire department be sent.

Witnesses that saw the airplane just before impact said that the airplane was low, and they did not see any fire while the airplane was in-flight. According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy assigned to a perimeter about a 1/4 of a mile northeast of the crash site, "...I observed a twin engine aircraft at a low altitude pass overhead on what appeared to be an approach to Palm Beach County International Airport. From my position the aircraft was only in view for a second, however I did note that when the aircraft passed overhead, the sound of the aircraft appeared to be a fluttering sound as if air passing through the propeller. I was unable to determine if the engine was running at this time. A few seconds later, I heard a very loud concussion of what sounded to be an explosion...." (See Page 5 of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Offense Report an attachment to this report).

The accident occurred during the hours of darkness about 26 degrees, 40 minutes north, and 080 degrees, 05 minutes west.

Personnel information

The pilot-in-command's flight logs were not found. Based on insurance company records the pilot's flight hours as of July 1999 were 11,562 hours of total flight time in all aircraft, and 11,062 hours as pilot-in-command of multi engine airplanes. In addition, 9,800 hours in turbine engine aircraft. It was not known how much flight time the pilot had in this make model airplane; however, associates of the pilot estimated that he had about 200 hours in this make and model aircraft.

Aircraft information

A review of the available aircraft records indicated that Beechcraft Aircraft Company manufactured the airplane in 1970. The available aircraft records indicated that the airframe had accumulated about 8,996 flight hours and about 7,510 cycles. The airplane records obtained from the FAA indicated that it had been exported to France in 1993, returned to the United States in 1995, exported to LaPaz, Bolivia in 1995, then returned to the United States in February 1999. Extensive maintenance was performed from February 1999 through June 1999. The FAA issued a new airworthiness certificate in February 1999. The airplane had been weighed in February 1999 and its empty weight 6,255 pounds. The airplane was in an airworthy condition before the flight began.

Meteorological information

The reported weather at West Palm Beach for 0340; wind calm, visibility 10 sm, few clouds at 3,500, temperature 73 degrees F, dew point 72 degrees F, and the altimeter was 29.90 inches Hg. The en route winds aloft at the airplane's altitude indicated a slight tailwind for half the flight and a headwind of about 15 knots for the remainder of the flight.

Communications

The pilot made several frequency changes during the flight, and there were no reported communication problems.

Medical and pathological information

Dr. Noel Palma performed autopsies on the pilot and the pilot/passenger, on September 4, 1999, at the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office, West Palm Beach, Florida. According to the autopsy reports, the cause of death for both victims was "Multiple Injuries."

Toxicological tests were conducted at the Federal Aviation Administration, Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and revealed, "No ethanol or drugs detected."

Wreckage and impact information

The airplane struck a building, power lines, and came to rest in a cluster of trees about 1/2 mile short of runway 13, at the Palm Beach International Airport. There was a post crash fire. The airplane's left wing and empennage were separated from the fuselage, but remained attached by cables. All essential components to sustain flight were found in the immediate vicinity of the main wreckage. The airplane was found with the cabin inverted, and with the left wing folded forward along the fuselage. The empennage had rotated 180 degrees about the longitudinal axis and to the left of the fuselage. The right wing was resting on a fence and up against a palm tree. There was no evidence of metal splattering, soot streaking, or heat damage along any horizontal plane. All the heat damage was vertical and the melted metal was found directly beneath the fuselage. No evidence of an in-flight structural failure or an in-flight fire was found at the accident site. The post crash fire and impact forces destroyed about 80 percent of the fuselage structure.

The airframe fuel system was examined for evidence of failures, malfunctions or contaminants. The left nacelle, main, and right nacelle tanks had been breached and a faint odor of fuel was left near the resting place of the tanks. About 2 gallons of fuel was recovered from the right nacelle tank the fuel was straw colored, clear, and free of extensive particles.