Beechcraft C33A N3722Q

Summary

On 20 July 1993 at about 19:30 local time, a Beechcraft C33A registered N3722Q, operated by C & D Enterprises Inc., was involved in an accident near Paintsville, Kentucky, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 July 1993 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Paintsville, Kentucky, United States

Nearest airport

Combs Field (3I6)

Coordinates

37.8098, -82.7993

Aircraft

Beechcraft C33A

Registration

N3722Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

C & D Enterprises Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Westfield → Nashville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO93FA131

1 person died.

1) FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT AT THE NUMBER 2 MAIN JOURNAL DUE TO UNDETERMINED REASON (S) WHICH RESULTED IN THE TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND 2) THE PILOT NOT MAINTAINING AN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN. A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT WAS INADEQUATE ALTITUDE FOR THE PILOT TO RECOVER FROM THE STALL/SPIN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

ACCORDING TO FAA PROVIDED TRANSCRIPTS OF COMMUNICATIONS THE AIRPLANE WAS AT CRUISE FLIGHT OF 10,000 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL AND 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT WHEN THE PILOT REPORTED HE HAD LOST ENGINE POWER, AND REQUESTED THE NEAREST AIRPORT. INDIANAPOLIS AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER CONTROLLER GAVE THE PILOT VECTORS TO THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT REPORTED HE HAD THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT AND THAT HE WOULD ATTEMPT TO LAND ON RUNWAY 31. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE MAKE A STEEP TURN AND THEN IT FELL TO THE GROUND. THE AIRPORT IS SITUATED IN A MOUNTAIN VALLEY WITH 500 FOOT HILLS ON BOTH SIDES. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED ON RUNWAY 13 AND WAS DESTROYED BY POST IMPACT FORCES AND POST IMPACT FIRE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A BROKEN CRANKSHAFT. THE CRANKSHAFT WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO THE NTSB LAB IN WASHINGTON, DC. A METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED THE CRANKSHAFT HAD FAILED WHERE A FATIGUE CRACK HAD INITIATED ON THE SURFACE OF THE AFT RADIUS OF THE #2 MAIN JOURNAL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.