Beechcraft F-35 N205

Summary

On 5 July 2003 at about 15:15 local time, a Beechcraft F-35 registered N205 was involved in an accident near Middlesboro, Kentucky, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 July 2003 at 15:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Middlesboro, Kentucky, United States

Nearest airport

Middlesboro Airport (1A6)

Coordinates

36.6258, -83.6794

Aircraft

Beechcraft F-35

Registration

N205

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Knoxville → Middlesboro

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC03FA148

2 people died.

The pilot's improper decision to descend into clouds, and his exceeding the maximum speed and design stress limits of the airplane, which resulted in an in-flight breakup and subsequent collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

About 8 miles south of the destination airport, the pilot advised the air traffic controller that he had the airport in sight. The air traffic controller terminated the flight following and instructed the pilot to contact the airport UNICOM for advisories. No further radio transmissions were received from the airplane. Review of radar data revealed a target, transmitting a 1200 beacon code, southwest of the airport. The target was traveling northeast, level at 5,500 feet. The target remained in level flight, until it began a descent about 8 miles south of the airport. The target continued the descent and made a right turn about 2 miles east of the airport. About 3 miles northeast of the airport, the target was at an altitude of 4,400 feet, heading east. There were no further radar returns received from the target. Data extracted from a hand-held global positioning system (GPS) found in the wreckage, revealed that about 2 miles east of the airport, the airplane began a right hand turn, at 142 knots. During the turn, the airspeed increased an average of 8.6 knots over a 25 second period, to where the last GPS data point was recorded, about 3 miles northeast of the airport, as a heading of 163 degrees magnetic, and airspeed of 211 knots. The airplane experienced an in-flight breakup along a ridgeline within the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. The weather recorded at the destination airport, about 6 minute after the accident included, wind from 160 degrees at 4 knots, visibility unrestricted at 10 miles, scattered clouds at 2,700 feet, temperature 83 degrees F, dew point temperature 71 degrees F, altimeter 30.12 Hg. Geostationary Operations Environmental Satellite number 12 (GOES-12) data was obtained from the National Transportation Safety Board's Man-computer Interactive Data Access System (McIDAS) workstation. Examination of the data revealed an area of low clouds in the immediate vicinity of the accident site, with the tops being approximately 4,500 of feet. According to the airplane's Pilot Operating Handbook, the Never Exceed Speed was published as 173 KIAS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.