SEA02FA146

After takeoff, the instructional flight entered a right closed VFR pattern for multiple touch-and-go landings. During the fourth pattern, just as the aircraft reached the location where the occupants were going to turn base, the tower advised them to make a left 360 degree turn and report reestablished on the downwind. One of the pilots advised the tower that they were just about to turn base, but because the tower needed the spacing to allow an IFR aircraft to depart, the controller repeated the instructions. One of the pilots read back the instructions, and then the aircraft entered a left 360 degree turn. Just about the time the aircraft was becoming reestablished on the downwind, the flying pilot allowed the airspeed to decrease below Vs (stalling speed), and the aircraft entered a spin.

History of flight

On August 5, 2002, at 1359 mountain daylight time, a Beech BE-35, N82Z, impacted the terrain about 1 mile northwest of Idaho Falls Regional Airport, Idaho Falls, Idaho. The private pilot in the left seat, along with an instructor pilot in the right seat and a passenger in the back, all received fatal injuries. The aircraft, which was operated by Eagle Vision, Inc., a flying club, was destroyed. The 14 CFR Part 91 commercial maneuvers instructional flight, which had been in the VFR traffic pattern for about 30 minutes, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed. The ELT, which was activated by the accident sequence, was turned off at the scene.

According to the logbook of the pilot receiving instruction, on the day of the accident he completed two other flights in Beech N82Z. The first flight was five-tenths of an hour long, and the second lasted for one and eight-tenths of an hour. Both flights were instructional in nature, and the same individual who was providing instruction during the accident flight provided instruction during these first two flights. Both of the flights began and terminated at Idaho Falls Regional Airport. Aero-Mark fueling personnel and fueling records indicate the aircraft’s main tanks were topped off with 100LL aviation fuel (10.8 gallon) prior to the first flight of the morning.

According to the tower controller, after takeoff for the third flight, the pilot of N82Z remained in the VFR pattern for right traffic to runway 20. The pilot then executed three touch-and-go landings prior to entering a right downwind for the fourth time. According to the controller, except for the fact that the patterns may have been slightly more extended than most, nothing seemed unusual or out of the ordinary. While on downwind of the fourth traffic pattern, the tower instructed the pilot of N82Z to make a left 360, and report reestablished. To these instructions, which were given in order for the tower to clear an Instrument Flight Rules-released aircraft for takeoff, the pilot of N82Z responded "Eight Two Zulu just ready to turn base." The tower controller then repeated the instructions (November Eight Two Zulu, make left 360 and report reestablished). To this repeated instruction, the pilot responded, "Roger, left 360, report reestablished." Immediately following that transmission, the controller saw the aircraft enter a left turn, but then looked away in order to continue activities related to the takeoff of the IFR-released aircraft.

According to at least two witnesses, the aircraft made one full circle, and soon thereafter "spiraled" straight down. Other witnesses did not see the aircraft make the turn, but noticed it just before it "rolled" and started "diving," "spinning," or "spiraling" toward the ground. All agreed that the aircraft was heading in a generally north direction prior to what appeared to be a rapid uncontrolled descent. All also agreed that the aircraft was much lower at the initiation of the descent than they were used to seeing at that point in the landing pattern. Only one person who provided a written statement mentioned anything about the sound of the engine. That person, who was working inside a shop building near the accident site, said that he first became aware of the aircraft when he heard "a loud engine sound" that lasted for about one or two seconds. According to this individual, the engine sound then ended, and then about one to two seconds later he heard a "loud thud." The tower controller, who had temporarily diverted his attention to other required activities, saw the aircraft in a rotating descent only briefly before it impacted the ground. There was no radio transmission from the aircraft after the pilot repeated the instructions the tower gave him and initiated the left turn.

Personnel information

The private pilot, who was flying from the left seat, earned his private pilots license on March 22, 2002, which was a little over five months prior to the accident. He earned his instrument rating on May 28, 2002. According to his logbook, he had about 183 hours total flying time and 15.2 hours in the BE-35. All of the BE-35 hours were accumulated during instructional flights while in the company of the flight instructor present during the accident flight. His first flight in a Beech BE-35 aircraft was on 2/22/02 (15 days prior to the accident). He had not yet received a complex aircraft or high-performance aircraft endorsement.

The flight instructor, who was sitting in the right seat, earned his private pilots license on July 26, 2001, just over one year prior to the accident. He earned his single engine aircraft flight instructor rating about eight months later, on April 1, 2002. He was endorsed to operate complex aircraft, as per FAR 61.31 (e), on December 6, 2001, but was not endorsed to fly high-performance aircraft, as per FAR 61.31(f), until July 22, 2002 (approximately two weeks prior to the accident). On July 22, 2002, this pilot made four fights in N82Z. The first flight (which was the first time he logged time at the controls of a Beech-35) lasted one hour. This flight was intended to be a combination high-performance endorsement check, and a required flying club/insurance checkout (although it was ultimately determined that the aircraft was not insured). The following three flights on that same day (1.2, 1.4 and .7 hours respectively) were logged as flight instruction given by this individual. In the remainder of the two weeks prior to the accident, the instructor logged 21 instructional flights totaling 41.6 hours in N82Z. On the four days from July 30 to August 2, he put entries in his logbook that indicated he made 15 additional flights, but he did not enter their duration, nature, or the aircraft in which they took place. It is estimated that his total flight time was approximately 450 hours.

Meteorological information

The aviation surface weather observation (METAR) taken at Idaho Falls Regional Airport at 1353, six minutes prior to the accident, indicated clear skies, winds from 340 degrees at three knots, visibility eight miles, temperature 74 degrees Fahrenheit, a dew point of 44 degrees, and a barometric pressure of 30.06 inches of mercury.

Wreckage and impact information

The aircraft impacted the terrain in an open grassy field about 150 feet west of North 26th Road West. The geographic coordinates of the accident site were North 43 degrees, 31.92 minutes, West 112 degrees, 5.02 minutes. The aircraft came to rest with the nose pointing approximately 270 degrees magnetic, with the front part of the engine embedded in the ground at an angle of about 30 degrees nose down. There were no ground scars that would indicate any forward or rotational movement after the aircraft's initial contact with the ground. The entire leading edges of both wings were crushed almost directly aft into the forward spars. The top skin between the spars on both wings was buckled upwards, and both main landing gear struts had been forced through the top of the wings. All three landing gear mechanisms were in the down position, and the nose gear had been torn from the airframe. The flap actuation mechanism indicated that the flaps were in the up position. Both the left and right main fuel tank bladders had been forced forward through the leading edge of the wings, and the front portion of each had been torn open at several places. Both wing tip fuel tanks had burst open, and there was a clear impact ground scar directly below both tanks. Impact forces had partially wrapped the firewall around the engine, and the instrument panel, most all of which had been destroyed, had been forced forward on to the top of the engine. The empennage, which was essentially intact as a unit, had almost entirely separated from the rest of the fuselage just aft of the rear seat. Continuity was established between all flight control