Jeanerette, LA, USA
N158LW
Beech BE58P
The18,300-hours commercial pilot filed an IFR flight plan for the 332-nautical mile flight. The flight was uneventful. When about 15-nautical miles from the destination airport, air traffic control (ATC) cleared the flight for a visual approach and advised the pilot of light to moderate and possible heavy precipitation south of the destination airport. The pilot then canceled his IFR flight plan, acknowledged that he had the weather in site, and changed to the local airport advisory frequency. The destination airport was a non-towered airport without published instrument approaches. No other communications were received from the airplane. Witnesses at the airport observed the airplane touch down long abeam the midfield taxiway on runway 04. Shortly after touchdown on the 3,000-foot long, by 75-foot wide asphalt runway, the increased noise in engine power consistent with an aborted landing was heard. The airplane was observed airborne prior to the end of the runway. The airplane failed to climb and the main landing gear collided with the 5 foot tall airport perimeter fence. The airplane subsequently collided with a concrete block building, a utility pole, several trees, the roof of a house, several strands of power lines, until it collided with a mobile home. The airplane came to rest in the inverted position about 811 feet beyond the departure end of runway 04. The landing gear was found extended and with the flaps in the retracted position. A post-impact fire destroyed the airplane. Witnesses at the airport further reported that a thunderstorm was in the immediate vicinity of the airport at the time of the accident, with heavy rain restricting the flight visibility to less than one mile. Flight control continuity was established to all flight controls. No mechanical anomalies were found with the airframe or the engines.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 18, 2006, approximately 1624 central daylight time, a twin-engine Beech BE58P airplane, N158LW, was destroyed following a loss of control during an aborted landing at the Le Maire Memorial Airport (2R1), near Jeanerette, Louisiana. The commercial pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. A resident in a mobile home impacted by the airplane also received fatal injuries. The airplane was owned and operated by LCS Corrections Services, of Lafayette, Louisiana. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the airport at the time of the accident and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight. The 332-nautical mile cross-county flight originated from the Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP) at 1429, with the Le Maire Memorial Airport (2R1) as the flight's intended destination. The airplane was reported to have been serviced with 83-gallons of 100LL aviation fuel prior to its departure from CRP. The flight from CRP to 2R1 was uneventful. When about 15-nautical miles from the destination airport, air traffic control (ATC) cleared the flight for a visual approach and advised the pilot of light to moderate and possible heavy precipitation south of the 2R1 airport. The pilot then canceled his IFR flight plan, acknowledged that he had the weather in sight, and changed to the local airport advisory frequency. The 2R1airport is a non-towered airport without published instrument approaches. No other communications were reported to have been received from the airplane during the visual approach or accident sequence. Witnesses at the airport observed the airplane touching down abeam the midfield taxiway on Runway 04. Shortly after touchdown on the 3,000-foot long, by 75-foot wide asphalt runway, an increase in engine noise, consistent with the noise generated by the engines during an aborted takeoff was heard. The airplane was observed becoming airborne prior to the end of the runway. The airplane failed to climb and the main landing gear collided with the 5-foot tall airport perimeter fence. The airplane subsequently collided with a concrete block building, a utility pole, several trees, the roof of a house, several strands of power lines, until it collided with a mobile home. INJURIES TO PERSONS The pilot and his passenger sustained fatal injuries due to impact forces and post-impact fire. A person on the ground also sustained fatal injures as result of the post-impact fire that consumed his mobile home. DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT The aircraft impacted the mobile home and terrain in the invested position. A post-impact fire consumed the cabin and forward fuselage of the airplane. The aft fuselage and tail section sustained substantial impact damage and minimal fire damage. This aft section had separated from the fuselage and came to rest in an upright position. The right engine sustained minimal thermal damage and the left engine sustained substantial thermal damage during the post-impact fire.. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The commercial pilot held ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multi-engine land and an airplane instrument rating. The pilot's medical certificate was revoked by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on September 8, 2002. The pilot attempted to be re-evaluated and obtained a waiver and a reissue of the medical certificate. The FAA issued a final denial on June 18, 2003, stating that the pilot's medical condition precluded the safe performance of airman duties under any condition. At the time of the application, the pilot reported having accumulated a total of 18,300-flight hours. No pilot logbooks were located or made available during the course of the investigation in order to determine currency, total flight time, or flight experience in the same make and model of airplane. No evidence found to verify any flight time since the pilot's last application for a medical certificate in May 2002. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The 1981-model BE-58P, serial number TJ-381, was a low-wing pressurized twin-engine airplane. The airplane was powered by two RAM OHE Teledyne Continental Motors TSIO-520 engines, each rated at 325- horsepower. Total time on the airframe was determined to be 5,058-hours as of May 8, 2006. According to the maintenance log books, the left engine had accumulated a total of 3,532.6- hours and 514.3 hours since its last overhaul as of May 8, 2006. The right engine had accumulated a total of 2,891.3-hours and 514.3 hours since overhaul as of May 8, 2006. METEROLOGICAL INFORMATION The pilot received a detailed weather briefing prior to initiating his IFR flight. Upon arrival near R21 the pilot requested to cancel the IFR and land under visual flight rules. ATC briefed the pilot on local weather conditions and the pilot stated that he had the weather in sight. Weather radar depicts heavy thunderstorm activity over 2R1 at the time of the attempted landing. Witnesses at the airport further reported that a thunderstorm was in the immediate vicinity of the airport at the time of the accident, with heavy rain restricting the flight visibility to less than one mile. AERODRONE INFORMATION The Le Maire Memorial Airport is a non-towered airport located approximately a mile south of Jeanerette, Louisiana. Runway 04/22 was to be well marked and in good condition. The asphalt runway is 3,000-feet long, and 75-feet wide. The weight bearing capacity is limited to single wheel and 6,000-pounds. Obstructions for Runway 04 are noted as 55-foot trees located 640-feet from the end of the runway and 120-feet to the right of the centerline, requiring an 8:1 slope to clear the obstacles. The airport field elevation is 14-feet mean sea level (MSL). WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The first impact point noted was the airport perimeter fence, located approximately 250-feet north of the departure end of Runway 04. Damage to the fence was consistent with impact with the main landing gear tires. The airplane then collided the roof top of a cement block building approximately 113-feet further north along the flight path. The airplane then collided with a wooden utility pole at approximately 29-feet to the rear of the cement block building. The airplane then continued to travel for approximately another 100-feet and impacted the tops of two oak trees. The airplane continued for another 72-feet and impacted a larger tree. The airplane then traveled for another 78-feet, striking the roof top of a single-story home and then another 42-feet through utility power lines before impacting the mobile home, coming to rest an additional 114- feet to the north. The airplane came to rest in the inverted position about 811-feet beyond the departure end of Runway 04. A post-impact fire destroyed the airplane. Flight control continuity was established at the accident site. The landing gear actuator was found in the extended position. The flaps were found in the retracted position. It was not possible to determine the position of the elevator trim, aileron trim, or rudder trim due to impact damage. The fuel selector for the right engine was found to be on the main tank position. The position of the fuel selector for the left engine could not be determined due to fire and impact damage. On scene examination of the engines was conducted. The left engine was intact with the propeller and left magneto separated. The left magneto was hanging by the ignition leads. The intake and exhaust pipes were crushed and were fire damaged. The engine had fire damaged on the bottom and on the rear. The air conditioning compressor belt was found to be loose. The air reference lines were pushed down on both sides of the engine. The number five injector line was separated at the injector nozzle. The throttle, mixture, and propeller governor controls were found to be connected A McCauley 3AF32C521-C/G-82NLA-4 propeller was installed. The serial number was noted as 022875. The propeller was separated at the crankshaft attachment flange, and the hub was pulled out of the attachment bolts. The spinner was crushed and burned. Blade one was loose in the hub and was bent 30-degrees toward the cambered side about 1/3 of the way out from the hub. Heavy rubbing was observed on both sides of the blade. Blades two and three were both partly melted about 6 inches from the hub. They were both found to be loose in the hub. The right engine was intact with all accessories attached. The oil dip stick was out about three inches and bent. The right side air reference lines were pushed down. The right side exhaust pipe was separated aft of the number one cylinder. One of the ignition leads was separated at the right magneto. The throttle, mixture, and propeller governor controls were found to be connected. A McCauley 3AF32C521-C/G-82NLA-4, propeller was installed. The serial number was noted as 023080. The propeller was attached to the crankshaft attachment flange, and the spinner was crushed on one side. Blade one was bent toward the non-cambered side at the tip. Blade two was twisted toward the direction of rotation at the mid-span. Blade three was sawed off near the shank by rescue personnel. The blade was slightly twisted toward the direction of rotation. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION An autopsy was conducted by the Lafayette Parish Coroner and Forensic Facility located in Lafayette, Louisiana, on July 19, 2006. The cause of death was reported as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicological testing on the pilot was performed by the FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) Forensic Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, and tested drugs. Test results were negative. TEST AND RESEARCH The engines were shipped to the engine manufacturer's facility in Mobile, Alabama, for a detailed examination and teardown inspection under the supervision of the investigator-in-charge. No anomalies were found with either engines that could have prevented normal engine operation. The fuel servos were shipped to a laboratory for fuel flow testing and analysis. The fuel injection servo for the left engine (serial number 79089) was bench tested and produced fuel flow in the acceptable range. The fuel injection servo for the right engine (serial number 77211) could not be flow tested due to the fire damage that melted the ball valve seat in to the outlet port. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The wreckage of the airplane was released to the owner's representative upon completion of the investigation.
The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather condition and his delayed attempt to abort the landing. A contributing factor was the prevailing thunderstorm.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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