Beechcraft A36 N4325W

Summary

On 25 October 2012 at about 17:06 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N4325W, operated by Herman Hassinger Architects, was involved in an accident near Hooksett, New Hampshire, 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

25 October 2012 at 17:06

Classification

Accident

Location

Hooksett, New Hampshire, United States

Coordinates

43.0414, -71.4689

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N4325W

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

Herman Hassinger Architects

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Nashua → Laconia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA13FA039

2 people died.

The pilot's total incapacitation in flight due to an acute heart attack.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was on the second leg of a visual flight rules cross-country flight and was receiving flight following services from air traffic control (ATC). About 10 minutes after establishing radio and radar contact with ATC, the airplane's discrete transponder code was lost, and an air traffic controller made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the airplane. Postaccident review of radar data showed a primary target, correlated to be the accident airplane, as it tracked north toward the pilot's destination. About 7 minutes later, the target initiated a left turn south, paralleling its northerly course. The last several radar returns showed the target tracking southbound directly over an interstate highway. The last radar return was located about 2,500 feet north of where the airplane was found resting upright against an interstate guardrail. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Review of the pilot's medical history revealed multiple medical conditions and a coronary artery bypass graft procedure for three-vessel coronary artery disease and insertion of a pacemaker for symptomatic bradycardia. The pilot provided the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) extensive documentation regarding his conditions and the medications used to treat the conditions and was granted special-issuance medical certificates. His most recent medical certificate was issued 3 months before the accident. The pilot's autopsy report indicated that he died from an acute heart attack at some point during the accident flight. The pilot-rated passenger held a pilot certificate, and, according to the pilot's logbook, had acted as a safety pilot on flights in the accident airplane during the previous year. However, she did not hold a current medical certificate, and no other evidence of recent flight experience could be found to suggest that she was capable of flying the accident airplane unassisted.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.