Beechcraft A36 N3815T

Summary

On 22 February 2008 at about 01:05 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N3815T, operated by BZM LLC., was involved in an accident near Cumberland, Maryland, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 February 2008 at 01:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Cumberland, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Greater Cumberland Regional (CBE)

Coordinates

39.6425, -78.6983

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N3815T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

BZM LLC.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Charleston → Cumberland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

NYC08FA109

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain the proper approach course for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a localizer/distance measuring equipment approach to runway 23, in night instrument meteorological conditions, to an airport that was 775 feet above mean sea level (msl). Radar contact with the airplane was lost while the airplane was inbound on the approach, about 12 miles northeast of the airport at an altitude of 3,700 feet msl. Air traffic control advised the pilot that he was no longer under radar coverage, which he acknowledged. There were no further communications received from the airplane. The airplane impacted 60- to 80-foot-tall trees at the top of a ridgeline that was about 1,240 feet msl, approximately 3.13 miles northeast of the airport. The debris path was oriented about a 110-degree heading, and the airplane came to rest about a 065-degree bearing from the runway. Examination of the wreckage, which was extensively fire- and impact-damaged, did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The pilot was an active Federal Aviation Administration-designated pilot examiner and had about 11,500 hours of total flight experience. A weather observation taken at the airport about the time of the accident included winds from 150 degrees at 6 knots, visibility of 1 1/4 miles, and a 600-foot overcast ceiling. The minimum visibility for the approach was 1 mile and the minimum descent altitude was 1,400 feet msl.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.