Accident Beechcraft N35 Bonanza N1253Z,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 35681
 
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Date:Saturday 22 April 2000
Time:12:41
Type:Silhouette image of generic BE35 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Beechcraft N35 Bonanza
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N1253Z
MSN: D-6719
Total airframe hrs:4589 hours
Engine model:Continental IO-470-N
Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Conicville, VA -   United States of America
Phase: Unknown
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Caro, MI (78D)
Destination airport:Newport News, VA (PHF)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
While in cruise flight at 9,000 feet, the pilot radioed air traffic control (ATC) that he experienced a gyro failure and "I do not have any artificial horizon my gyro uh I got the compass and the airspeed indicator...I uh I have to stay on top cause I haven't got my artificial horizon." The controller then observed the airplane climbing to a higher altitude and stated to the pilot, "I'm showing you at uh nine thousand eight hundred I don't have any traffic in that area if you can't hold an altitude that's fine just do the best you can." The pilot replied to the controller , "try to see what uh what I can rely on here and what I can't take it back to nine uh it's startin to open up here right now." When the pilot was asked by the controller if he could descend to 7,000 feet and stay on top, the pilot replied, "right now I'm pre I'm almost I'm in the clouds right now." The airplane separated into pieces and descended to the ground. The pilot's last recorded log book entry for flight in actual instrument conditions was about 30 months prior to the accident, which was for 1.3 hours. The pilot's last endorsement for an instrument competency check was about 5 years prior to the accident flight. Examination of the vacuum pump drive shaft with a binocular microscope revealed circular features consistent with torsional overstress. Weather reported at an airport 35 miles south of the accident site included scattered clouds at 4,400 feet, and broken clouds at 8,000 and 10,000 feet.
Probable Cause: The pilot's in-flight decision to continue flight into IMC conditions, and his failure to maintain control of the airplane. Factors related to the accident were the failure of the vacuum pump and the pilot's lack of recent instrument time.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: NYC00FA119
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001212X20893&key=1

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
30 March 1984 N12353 Lakeland Disposal Service Inc. 0 Daytona Beach, FL sub

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:22 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
12-Dec-2017 18:34 ASN Update Bot Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]

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