Accident Beechcraft 58P Baron N36TL,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 45172
 
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Date:Wednesday 2 July 2003
Time:10:05
Type:Silhouette image of generic B58T model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Beechcraft 58P Baron
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N36TL
MSN: TJ-396
Year of manufacture:1981
Total airframe hrs:2948 hours
Engine model:Teledyne Continental TSIO-520-WB
Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Memphis International Airport (MEM/KMEM), Memphis, TN -   United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Tampa-Peter O. Knight Airport, FL (TPF/KTPF)
Destination airport:Memphis International Airport, TN (MEM/KMEM)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
On July 2, 2003, at 1005 central daylight time, a Beech 58P, N36TL, registered to private owners and co-owned and operated by the private pilot, collided with the ground during approach to land at the Memphis International Airport, Memphis, Tennessee. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with an instrument flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The private pilot and the front-seated passenger received fatal injuries, the two passengers seated in the second row received serious injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight departed Peter O. Knight Airport, Tampa, Florida, about 0758 eastern daylight time on July 2, 2003.

The airplane was on approach to runway 36R and had descended to approximately 10 to 15 feet above the runway. A witness reported the airplane then yawed left, rolled left, and collided with the ground inverted. Examination of the airframe, engines, and propellers revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction. Both propellers exhibited twisting of the blades and chord wise gouges, and each propeller low pitch stop displayed an impression mark. Target separation analysis of the radar data for the accident airplane's approach to runway 36R showed that an Embraer ERJ 145 landed on runway 36C approximately 120 seconds before the accident airplane attempted to land on runway 36R. The last recorded horizontal separation between the two airplanes was 3.53 nautical miles. Radar data, wind data, and wake vortex characteristics were utilized to develop a ground track and wake vortex profile for the two airplanes. According to the study, "the wake vortex of the ... [Embraer ERJ 145] ... could have migrated toward the ... [Beech 58P's] flight path." The study also states, "[Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)] ... guidance suggests that a separation of 120 sec[onds] is sufficient for the wake to dissipate or move away from the runway. Furthermore, wake dissipation is enhanced in ground effect." According to FAA guidelines, for purposes of wake turbulence separation, runways 36R and 36C are considered as a single runway because of their proximity to each other, and the separation minima for a "small" aircraft (Beech 58P) following a "large" aircraft (Embraer ERJ 145) is four miles.

Probable Cause: An encounter with wake turbulence on approach, which resulted in the pilot's inability to maintain control and subsequent in-flight collision with the ground.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: ATL03FA115
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 2 years
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20030710X01056&key=1

Location

Images:




Photos: NTSB

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
28-Oct-2008 00:45 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:24 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
08-Dec-2017 18:55 ASN Update Bot Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]

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