Beechcraft B35 N8741A

Summary

On 28 August 2022 at about 00:58 local time, a Beechcraft B35 registered N8741A was involved in an accident near French Lick, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 August 2022 at 00:58

Classification

Accident

Location

French Lick, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

French Lick Muni (FRH)

Coordinates

38.5061, -86.6408

Aircraft

Beechcraft B35

Registration

N8741A

Category

Airplane

Year built

1950

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

New Memphis → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA22FA386

1 person died.

The pilot’s failure to make a stabilized approach, which resulted in a loss of directional control during landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was returning to his home airport at the conclusion of a cross-country flight and was attempting to make a visual approach to land at night. A review of radar data revealed the airplane overflew the airport about 500 ft above the ground before making a sweeping, descending left turn onto final approach before the data ended 0.2 miles from the end of the runway. At that time, the airplane was traveling at a groundspeed of about 86 knots at an altitude of about 33 ft above ground level (agl). Airport surveillance video captured the airplane on landing rollout. The airplane was observed departing the left side of the runway before it started a climb and impacted trees. Postaccident examination of the airplane and the engine revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical deficiencies or malfunctions that precluded normal operation. The pilot’s autopsy examination and postaccident toxicological findings did not reveal any medical factors that would have resulted in the pilot becoming suddenly impaired or incapacitated. Based on the available radar data, the pilot had not stabilized the airplane during the approach to the runway and was at a critically low altitude when the airplane was .2 miles from the end of the runway. Surveillance video also suggested the airplane was not stabilized after it touched down. Visible tire marks on the runway confirmed that it departed the left side of the runway during the landing rollout. The pilot may have attempted to regain control of the airplane after the unstabilized approach, touchdown, and runway excursion by attempting to abort the landing; however, the airplane subsequently collided with trees. Based on this information it is likely that the pilot performed an un stabilized approach that resulted in a loss of directional control during landing, ultimately resulting in a runway excursion and collision with trees.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.