Beechcraft G35 N4606D

Summary

On 20 April 2008 at about 17:30 local time, a Beechcraft G35 registered N4606D, operated by Bill Toy Associates Inc., was involved in an accident near New Smyrna Beach, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 April 2008 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

New Smyrna Beach, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

New Smyrna Beach Municipal Air (EVB)

Coordinates

29.0556, -80.9489

Aircraft

Beechcraft G35

Registration

N4606D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Bill Toy Associates Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Paris → Melbourne

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC08LA164

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadvertent encounter with turbulence that was not forcast.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was in cruise flight above its published maneuvering speed, but below its published never-exceed speed, when it experienced "5-6 sharp vibrations" that measured -1 to + 3.9 g's and caused the airplane to pitch up and down violently and roll to the left. At that time, the pilot-rated passenger reported hearing "popping and tearing" from the area of the baggage door. The pilot disengaged the autopilot and slowed the airplane. The vibrations stopped. He then performed a slow descent and completed a safe landing at his destination airport. Examination of the airplane, a monoplane with a "V" tail, revealed downward bending of the rear fuselage with diagonal buckling of the skin on each side, and tearing of the skin on the bottom. The two elevators were found properly attached, and properly balanced. A weather study revealed cumulus clouds developing in the area on the satellite imagery, and therefore the potential for convectively induced turbulence from towering cumulus clouds. The soundings also noted an inversion near the airplane's cruise altitude, with rapidly drying air above. The vertical wind shear was 5 knots per 1,000 feet at that layer, which corresponded to moderate or greater turbulence. There were no weather advisories current along the route of flight during the period of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.