N76SBeech D95A · 1965

On October 4, 2016, at 1826 central daylight time, a Beech D95A airplane, N76S, was destroyed after impacting trees and terrain near Hitchcock, Texas. The flight instructor was fatally injured and the pilot receiving instruction was seriously injured. The instructional flight was operated by Bay Area Flying Club, Pearland, Texas, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which originated from Pearland Regional Airport (KLVJ), Pearland, Texas.

According to the pilot's brother who spoke with the pilot in the hospital following the accident, the purpose of the flight was for the flight instructor to demonstrate aerodynamic stalls. The pilot said that a stall was initiated from about 4,000 ft mean sea level (msl). The pilot then vaguely remembered the instructor "cursing" the airplane because the flight instructor was unable to recover from the stall maneuver. The pilot was unable to recall any further details of the accident.

A duck hunter, located about 1 mile south of the accident site, took a cell phone video that captured the airplane descending in a fully-developed right spin.

According to data retrieved from an onboard GPS unit, the airplane entered a cliumb from about 4,000 ft at 1825:23, reaching a peak altitude of about 4,800 ft about 1825:50. The airplane then entered a descent that continued until the end of the recorded data at 1826:44.

Flight Instructor

The flight instructor held an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane multiengine land rating, and commercial privileges with airplane single-engine land, and glider ratings. He also held a flight instructor certificate with airplane single-engine, multiengine, glider, and instrument ratings. His most recent second-class Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certificate, dated September 2, 2015, contained the restriction, "Must wear corrective lenses."

According to the flight instructor's logbooks, he had accumulated 9,898 total hours of flight experience, of which 4,635 hours were in multiengine airplanes, 16 of the multiengine airplane hours were logged in the previous 11 years. He had logged 11.6 total hours in the accident airplane make and model, all within the previous two months, of which 6.7 hours were as a flight instructor. His logbooks indicated that he had never practice stalls in the accident airplane make and model.

Pilot Receiving Instruction

The pilot receiving instruction held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. His third-class FAA medical certificate, dated September 2, 2014, contained no restrictions or limitations.

According to the pilot's logbook, he had acquired 113.7 total flight hours, of which 110.3 hours were in single-engine airplanes. The remaining 3.4 hours were in the accident airplane make and model.

The accident airplane, serial number TD-605, was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation in 1965. It was powered by two Lycoming IO-360-B1B engines, serial numbers RL-29744-51A (left) and RL-28158-51A (right), each rated at 180 horsepower, and driving Hartzell HC-92WK-2B two-blade, all-metal, constant-speed propellers.

The left engine and propeller were overhauled on February 28, 2014, due to a propeller strike. It had accumulated 2,672.1 total hours (1,042.7 hours since the previous major overhaul). According to the maintenance records, the airframe, both engines, and both propellers received a 100-hour/annual inspection on August 1, 2016. The tachometer read 2,696.1 hours, and the airframe has accumulated 4,085.2 hours at the time of the inspection. At the time of the 100-hour/annual inspection,

• the left engine had accrued 2,696.1 total hours (1,066.9 hours since major overhaul).

• the left propeller had accrued 4,085.2 total hours (24.0 hours since major overhaul)

• the right engine had accumulated 700.7 since being factory-remanufactured on July 25, 2003, and

• the right propeller had accrued 4,085.2 total hours, and 329.2 hours since major overhaul.

The last altimeter, transponder, encoder, and static system checks were made on August 12, 2014.

At 1752, Scholes International Airport (KGLS), Galveston, Texas, Automated Surface Observation System, about 11 miles east of the accident site, reported wind from 110° at 11 knots, visibility, 10 miles, scattered clouds at 2,300 ft, temperature, 28° C., dew point, 24° C., and an altimeter setting of 29.79 inches of mercury. Data from the U. S. Naval Observatory showed that sunset occurred at 1902 and the end of evening nautical twilight occurred at 1925.

The accident airplane, serial number TD-605, was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation in 1965. It was powered by two Lycoming IO-360-B1B engines, serial numbers RL-29744-51A (left) and RL-28158-51A (right), each rated at 180 horsepower, and driving Hartzell HC-92WK-2B two-blade, all-metal, constant-speed propellers.

The left engine and propeller were overhauled on February 28, 2014, due to a propeller strike. It had accumulated 2,672.1 total hours (1,042.7 hours since the previous major overhaul). According to the maintenance records, the airframe, both engines, and both propellers received a 100-hour/annual inspection on August 1, 2016. The tachometer read 2,696.1 hours, and the airframe has accumulated 4,085.2 hours at the time of the inspection. At the time of the 100-hour/annual inspection,

• the left engine had accrued 2,696.1 total hours (1,066.9 hours since major overhaul).

• the left propeller had accrued 4,085.2 total hours (24.0 hours since major overhaul)

• the right engine had accumulated 700.7 since being factory-remanufactured on July 25, 2003, and

• the right propeller had accrued 4,085.2 total hours, and 329.2 hours since major overhaul.

The last altimeter, transponder, encoder, and static system checks were made on August 12, 2014.

The airplane impacted a tree-lined canal next to a fallow rice field in a slightly wings-level, nose-down attitude. The aircraft wreckage was recovered and transported to Air Salvage of Dallas, Lancaster, Texas, where examinations were conducted. No pre-existing discrepancies or anomalies were noted with the airframe or either engine, and nothing was found that would have precluded the engines from developing power. The bottoms of both propeller spinners were flattened.

Following a series of fatal accidents in Beech Baron- and Travel Air-series airplanes, the National Transportation Safety Board issued Safety Recommendations A-81-49 through -53 on May 7, 1981, because of the propensity of these airplanes to enter flat spins under conditions of high asymmetric power and low speed. Training for a potential emergency, such as an engine-out condition, "may be more hazardous than the emergency itself." In 1974, the U.S. Army issued a report on the stall characteristics of the Beech T-42A, which is similar to the B55B and D95A airplanes.

Section 3, page 6, of the Beech D95A Owner's Manual states: "This is a normal category airplane. Maneuvers, including spins, are prohibited."

Section 4, page 9, states: "If a spin is entered inadvertently, cut the power on both engines. Apply full rudder opposite the direction of rotation and then move the elevator forward until rotation stops. When the controls are fully effective, bring the nose up smoothly to a level flight attitude. Don't pull out too abruptly."

The Galveston County Medical Examiner, Texas City, Texas, conducted an autopsy on the flight instructor. The cause of the pilot's death was listed as blunt force injuries.

FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological testing. Testing was negative for carbon monoxide and ethanol. Metoprolol was detected in urine and subclavian blood. According to FAA's Forensic Toxicology Drug website, metoprolol Is a "beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist, 'beta blocker,' used in the treatment of hypertension and certain arrhythmias."