ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 43029
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Tuesday 3 June 1997 |
| Time: | 10:40 LT |
| Type: |  Beechcraft B55 Baron |
| Owner/operator: | Us Dept Of Interior |
| Registration: | N8KB |
| MSN: | TC-1404 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 8594 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental IO-470-L |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | San Carlos, AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | , AZ (4A27) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The aircraft was on a routine fire reconnaissance patrol. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident. Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) radar data showed no primary or secondary targets at or above 3,000 feet AGL. No record was found that either crew member initiated an emergency transmission. No weather phenomena was observed by any source in the area. The aircraft crashed at the apex of a river bed in a narrow canyon at an elevation of 5,620 feet MSL, and came to rest on a sandbar with a measured 400-foot radius bend in the river. The wall on the west side of the river rises steeply to about 6,100 feet MSL, and the terrain on the east side rises to equal heights over a slightly longer horizontal distance. The trim speed of the aircraft was computed by Beech Aircraft at 120 knots based on the elevator trim tab position in comparison to the gross weight and CG. A 73-degree bank angle is required for the aircraft to make a 400-foot-radius turn at 120 knots. The aircraft stall speed at that bank angle is 111 knots. An extensive postcrash fire consumed the aircraft and no ground scars were observed outside of the immediate area of the main wreckage. According to a Hartzell Propeller report, both propellers were operating symmetrically at blade angles in the governed range during the impact sequence. No preimpact failures or system/component malfunctions were found. A review of past reconnaissance flights over this same route disclosed that the flight's position reports and computed ground speed was consistent with all past flights.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which led to an inadvertent stall/spin.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX97GA198
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 12-Nov-2022 02:26 | Ron Averes | Updated [Operator] |
| 31-May-2023 09:33 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Operator]] |
| 06-Jun-2023 16:13 | Ron Averes | Updated [[[Operator]]] |
| 08-Apr-2024 15:11 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation