Beechcraft 58P N36TL

Summary

On 2 July 2003 at about 15:05 local time, a Beechcraft 58P registered N36TL, operated by David W. Cahill (president Wind Dancer DSC, Inc.), was involved in an accident near Memphis, Tennessee, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 July 2003 at 15:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Memphis International Airport (KMEM)

Coordinates

35.0278, -89.9739

Aircraft

Beechcraft 58P

Registration

N36TL

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

David W. Cahill (president Wind Dancer DSC, Inc.)

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tampa → Memphis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL03FA115

2 people died.

An encounter with wake turbulence on approach, which resulted in the pilot's inability to maintain control and subsequent in-flight collision with the ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was on approach to runway 36R and had descended to approximately 10 to 15 feet above the runway. A witness reported the airplane then yawed left, rolled left, and collided with the ground inverted. Examination of the airframe, engines, and propellers revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction. Both propellers exhibited twisting of the blades and chord wise gouges, and each propeller low pitch stop displayed an impression mark. Target separation analysis of the radar data for the accident airplane's approach to runway 36R showed that an Embraer ERJ 145 landed on runway 36C approximately 120 seconds before the accident airplane attempted to land on runway 36R. The last recorded horizontal separation between the two airplanes was 3.53 nautical miles. Radar data, wind data, and wake vortex characteristics were utilized to develop a ground track and wake vortex profile for the two airplanes. According to the study, "the wake vortex of the ... [Embraer ERJ 145] ... could have migrated toward the ... [Beech 58P's] flight path." The study also states, "[Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)] ... guidance suggests that a separation of 120 sec[onds] is sufficient for the wake to dissipate or move away from the runway. Furthermore, wake dissipation is enhanced in ground effect." According to FAA guidelines, for purposes of wake turbulence separation, runways 36R and 36C are considered as a single runway because of their proximity to each other, and the separation minima for a "small" aircraft (Beech 58P) following a "large" aircraft (Embraer ERJ 145) is four miles.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.