Beechcraft A36 N55448

Summary

On 30 October 2004 at about 01:40 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N55448 was involved in an accident near Downing, Missouri, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 October 2004 at 01:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Downing, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

40.3842, -92.3714

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N55448

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Winner → Anderson

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CHI05FA020

3 people died.

The pilot not maintaing airplane control during cruise flight. Factors present were night and thunderstorm conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane piloted by an instrument rated private pilot, was destroyed on impact with terrain and post impact fire. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The pilot established radio communications with the air traffic controller on duty at an Air Route Traffic Control Center's radar position about 2027. The controller gave the pilot the position's current altimeter setting. The air traffic controller observed the flight enter an area of weather. At about 2036, an air traffic controller advised the pilot that radar contact was lost. The pilot did not respond. No further radio communications were established with the flight. A witness, who was a commercial pilot, stated, "Aircraft spun out of clouds, began recovery, hit the ground, [and] burst of flame immediately." The flight's National Track Analysis Program radar data was plotted on Doppler weather radar base reflectivity depictions. That plotted data showed that the airplane entered an area of weather consistent with level three to level four thunderstorm activity. Surface weather observations showed VFR weather was present. An on-scene examination was performed. A gyro and its housing from a flight instrument were examined. That examination revealed rotational scoring. The turn coordinator was found destroyed. The face from the turn coordinator showed the airplane in a right bank turn. A section of right wing tip was found near a ground scar. The navigation light on that wingtip contained a green media. The left wing was found detached from the fuselage. Control cables were traced. All breaks in control cables were consistent with overload. No airframe or engine pre-impact anomalies were detected.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.