Beechcraft 60 N711PS

Summary

On 21 April 1995 at about 16:16 local time, a Beechcraft 60 registered N711PS, operated by Hommel, Daniel J., was involved in an accident near Cheyenne, Wyoming, 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

21 April 1995 at 16:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

41.3702, -104.8506

Aircraft

Beechcraft 60

Registration

N711PS

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Hommel, Daniel J.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Colorado Spgs

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW95FA177

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS WERE THE INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITONS AND THE EXCESSIVE WORKLOAD IMPOSED ON THE SOLO PILOT ATTEMPTING TO DEAL WITH AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WHILE FLYING IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT REPORTED HE HAD 'A PROBLEM...AN OVERBOOST SITUATION,' AND WANTED TO RETURN FOR LANDING. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, SO THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR THE ILS RUNWAY 26 APPROACH. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE EMERGE FROM THE LOW OVERCAST IN A WINGS LEVEL DESCENT, THEN PITCH OVER TO A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE AND IMPACT A SHOPPING CENTER SIGN. THE LEFT TURBOCHARGER WASTEGATE WAS FOUND IN THE OPEN (LOW BOOST) POSITION, AND THE RIGHT TURBOCHARGER WASTEGATE WAS FOUND IN THE CLOSED (HIGH BOOST) POSITION. THE RIGHT TURBOCHARGER BUTTERFLY VALVE WAS SEVERELY ERODED, THE PIN WAS MISSING, AND THE VALVE WAS FREE TO ROTATE ON THE SHAFT. A HOLE WAS BURNT THROUGH THE RIGHT ENGINE NUMBER 1 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE. BOTH PROPELLERS WERE IN THE LOW PITCH-HIGH RPM RANGE. BOTH ENGINES AND TURBOCHARGERS WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND HAD NOT BEEN OVERHAULED IN 21 YEARS. A TOXICOLOGY TEST SHOWED 0.564 MCG/ML OF SERTRALINE (ANTIDEPRESSANT) IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD. SERTRALINE WAS NOT APPROVED FOR USE WHILE FLYING AN AIRCRAFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.