N11JK

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 11, 2012, about 1310 eastern daylight time, a Beech V35B, N11JK, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Effingham, South Carolina. The private pilot and the passenger were not injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the flight. The flight departed Manassas Regional Airport (HEF), Manassas, Virginia at 1052, and was destined for Flagler County Airport (XFL), Palm Coast, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the pilot, prior to departing on the accident flight, he used a computer-based application to receive a textual weather briefing, and checked the weather conditions on the website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He also contacted Lockheed Martin Flight Services, and after filing his IFR flight plan, briefly discussed weather conditions with the briefer. Review of the archived audio from the contact showed that the pilot was subsequently advised of two current convective SIGMETs, in the vicinities of central South Carolina and northern Florida. The pilot replied that he was aware of the SIGMETs. The briefer further advised that a line of weather was 130 miles west of the destination, and that the flight would likely arrive there before the adverse weather conditions did. The briefer then advised the pilot, "Probably the stuff in South Carolina could be the one that actually impacts your route of flight." The pilot responded, "Ok, I guess we'll deal with that when we get there, if we have to go around it or stop, that's fine." The briefer concluded the exchange, "…that's only about 50 miles off to the west." He then advised that the weather conditions at the destination airport, as well as locations further south, were generally favorable.

The flight departed from HEF about 1052 and proceeded uneventfully until approaching the northern South Carolina border, about 1240. The flight was given a frequency change by air traffic control (ATC), and first attempted to contact Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZJX) at 1243; however, due to frequency congestion at the time, the controller did not hear the transmission. The pilot subsequently checked-in with ZJX, and reported that the airplane was level at 12,000 feet. The controller acknowledged and issued the local altimeter setting as well as an advisory for moderate to extreme precipitation 20 miles ahead extending to the south for 100 miles, which the pilot acknowledged. At 1244, the controller issued a broadcast to all aircraft that stated AIRMET "Tango" for Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and coastal waters was available on HIWAS , flight watch, or flight service frequencies.

At 1252, the pilot requested to descend to 10,000 feet, "for weather". This transmission was not acknowledged by the controller and at 1300:12 the pilot re-attempted contact but was interrupted by another aircraft calling, and again received no response. At 1300:32 the accident pilot called again and requested a turn to get out of the weather. The controller instructed the pilot to deviate left and then proceed direct to CHS VOR, Charleston, South Carolina, when able. At 1302:49, the controller informed the pilot that he thought he would be in the weather for another minute, and the weather would then be clear to Charleston. At 1302:56, the pilot reported that he had encountered heavy turbulence and was unable to maintain altitude. The controller acknowledged, informed the pilot that he was almost out of the weather, and instructed him to continue flying his present heading.

At 1303:56, the accident pilot attempted to contact ZJX and the transmission was cut off by another aircraft calling. The controller then instructed all aircraft to stand by, and instructed the accident pilot to retry his transmission. The accident pilot again reported that he was losing altitude and had also "lost" his attitude and heading reference system (AHRS). The controller then asked the pilot if he could level the airplane and instructed him to fly heading 090. At 1304:56 the controller asked the pilot to verify his altitude, and the pilot responded that he was at 4,000 feet and was underneath the weather. The controller then asked the pilot if he was stabilized and level at 4,000 feet. At 1305:18 the pilot stated he was at 3,000 feet and then his transmission was cut off.

At 1305:29, the controller instructed the pilot to contact Florence Regional Airport (FLO), Florence, South Carolina, approach control and at 1305:35 the pilot responded stating that the airplane had lost engine power. The controller instructed the pilot to make a left turn to heading 360 toward Florence, and the pilot acknowledged. At 1306:03 the controller informed the pilot that FLO was 15 miles from the airplane's position, on an approximate heading of 20 degrees. At 1306:48 the controller informed the pilot about the available landing runways at FLO, along with the current weather conditions. At 1307:51 the controller asked the pilot if he could change radio frequencies or if he would rather remain with him, and the accident pilot responded stating "…let me stay with you, I'm a little busy right now". At 1308:08 the controller cleared the pilot to land on any runway at FLO.

At 1308:51 the pilot stated that he did not think he was going to make the airport, could not see it, and was going to have to land in a field. At 1309:05 the accident pilot stated "Jacksonville, one one juliet kilo can't make the airport" which was the last recorded transmission received from the pilot. At 1312:05 another airplane relayed to ZJX that they were in contact with the accident pilot, and that he was on the ground and they were okay, but that the engine was on fire and they needed fire and rescue to respond. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on September 28, 2010. He reported that at the time of the accident he had accumulated about 800 total hours of flight experience. Additionally, he reported that he had received about 40 hours of dual flight instruction in the accident airplane as required by his insurance carrier, and had since accumulated 150 total hours of flight experience in the airplane. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONAccording to FAA airworthiness records, the airplane was manufactured in 1973. It was originally equipped with a Continental Motors IO-520-BA engine. In May 2001 and May 2009 the engine was disassembled, cleaned, and inspected following two separate propeller strike/sudden stoppage incidents. Following the propeller strike event in 2009, an MT Propeller MTV-9-D/210-58, three-blade composite propeller was installed onto the engine. In July 2011, the engine was removed and modified with the installation of a turbo-normalizing system in accordance with Western Skyways STC SA8676SW. Maintenance log entries documenting the modification of the engine also noted the removal and reinstallation of the propeller, and no subsequent entries in any of the maintenance logs documented additional removal or reinstallation of the propeller. An annual inspection of the airframe, engine, and propeller was completed in December 2011, at which time the airframe and engine had accumulated 2,847 total hours of operation, 908 hours of which were accumulated since the engine's last major overhaul in 1987. The airplane's most recent maintenance log entry detailed an engine oil and oil filter change on March 15, 2012, at an airframe total time of 2,878 flight hours.

According to FAA aircraft registration records, the pilot purchased the accident airplane in September 2008. Review of maintenance records showed that in October 2008, the airplane's avionics were reconfigured to include the installation of a Garmin GNS 430W and a Garmin MX-20 MFD at an airframe total time of 2,613 hours. In June 2009, an Aspen Pro 1000 EFIS and a Garmin GDL-90 UAT (ADSB) Data Link Sensor was installed, at an airframe total time of 2,636 hours. In June 2010, the Aspen Pro 1000 EFIS and the Garmin GDL-90 were removed and a Garmin G-500 system was installed, at an airframe total time of 2,701 hours. In September 2010, a Garmin GDL-69 (satellite) Weather Data Link system was installed, at an airframe total time of 2,723 hours. In June 2011, a Garmin GTN-750 navigation/communication/GPS receiver was installed, at an airframe total time of 2,783 hours. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONThe National Weather Service (NWS) Surface Analysis Chart for 1400 depicted a stationary front stretched northeastward from central Georgia up the East Coast. A cold front stretched southwestward from central Georgia into Alabama. Several outflow boundaries were located across South Carolina and Georgia; these outflow boundaries, along with the frontal boundaries, acted as lifting mechanisms to help produce clouds and precipitation. The station models around the accident site depicted a southwest to south wind between 5 and 20 knots, partly cloudy skies, and thunderstorms. The low-level environment surrounding the accident site was warm and moist, conducive to the creation of moderately unstable conditions which, when combined with the lifting mechanisms, resulted in clouds, rain showers, and strong thunderstorms.

The Area Forecast issued at 0718 forecasted a broken ceiling at 1,000 feet msl with the cloud tops at 10,000 feet msl. The ceilings were forecast to rise to 3,000 feet msl between 1100 and 1300. Scattered light rain showers and thunderstorms were forecast across central South Carolina with tops to FL380.

Florence Regional Airport was the closest official weather station to the accident site, and had an Automated Surface Observing System whose reports were supplemented by the air traffic ...