Beechcraft K35 N9530R

Summary

On 29 January 2022 at about 23:02 local time, a Beechcraft K35 registered N9530R was involved in an accident near Salem, Oregon, 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

29 January 2022 at 23:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Salem, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

McNary Fld (SLE)

Coordinates

44.9050, -122.9985

Aircraft

Beechcraft K35

Registration

N9530R

Category

Airplane

Year built

1959

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR22FA087

2 people died.

The airplane’s excessive nose-up pitch attitude during landing for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the accident airplane departed the runway, stating that he was planning to remain in the traffic pattern. The pilot was then cleared to land; on the final approach, after crossing the runway threshold and just before the airplane touched down the airplane pitched up, ascended about 50 ft, and subsequently rolled left before entering a near-vertical descent and then impacting the ground. The airplane’s autopilot was repaired 1.5 flight hours before the accident flight, wherein the auto-pilot pitch servo was sent out for repair, reinstalled, and cable tensions were set. Subsequently, an operational check was conducted, which verified proper installation on the ground. The autopilot pitch servo capability is exhausted by a pitch hold setting, meaning that inadvertent activation would merely maintain the airplane’s present pitch profile at the time of activation. Postaccident examination of the pitch trim actuator revealed a 15° tab down position. The elevator tab limits are 4.5° tab up, to 23° tab down. While the pitch servo had been recently installed, it is not likely that the autopilot was engaged in the airport traffic pattern and specifically during landing. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The cause of the abrupt nose-up pitch attitude during landing could not be determined. Pilot incapacitation was not a factor in this accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.