CEN11FA417

The pilot's inadequate airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to not execute a missed approach in weather conditions below minimums.

Witnesses observed the airplane exiting the low cloud ceiling halfway down the runway during an instrument approach. The cloud ceiling was about 200 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot did not execute the published missed approach procedure. Instead, he maneuvered the airplane in the vicinity of the airport at a low altitude and entered the right downwind leg of the traffic pattern for the runway. Witnesses observed the airplane turn to the right toward the runway, pitch nose up, bank to the left, stall, and enter an uncontrolled descent. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact failure or malfunction. The circling approach weather minimums were a 700-foot agl ceiling and 1 mile visibility. Based on the witness reports and examination of the impact damage, it is likely the pilot inadvertently stalled the airplane at a low altitude during the downwind-to-base turn.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 24, 2011, approximately 1935 eastern daylight time, a Beech A36 single-engine airplane, N88MN, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain and a residential garage while maneuvering near Charlevoix, Michigan. The private pilot, one passenger, and one dog sustained fatal injuries, one passenger sustained serious injuries, and one dog was not injured. The airplane was registered to Microjet, LLC, Fort Wayne, Indiana, and operated by the pilot. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight had departed Smith Field Airport (SMD), Fort Wayne, Indiana, approximately 1730. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Minneapolis air route traffic control center (ARTCC) communications and radar data, the pilot filed an IFR flight plan from SMD to Boyne City Municipal Airport (N98), Boyne City, Michigan. At 1848, the pilot stated he wanted to divert to Boyne Mountain Airport (BFA), Boyne Falls, Michigan, due to weather in the area of N98 which did not have an instrument approach. The pilot requested the BFA RNAV (global positioning system (GPS)) approach to runway 35. The pilot was then cleared to ELBOT which was the initial approach fix for the RNAV approach. At 1917, the pilot contacted Minneapolis ARTCC and stated he was executing the missed approach at BFA and requested the Charlevoix Municipal Airport (CVX) RNAV (GPS) approach to runway 27. The pilot was cleared to COKOS which was the initial approach fix for the RNAV approach. At 1920, the pilot was cleared for the approach to CVX. At 1926, the pilot was then given approval for a frequency change to the CVX advisory frequency. The pilot acknowledged the frequency change. Witnesses, who were located in the CVX terminal building, overheard the pilot call on the CVX common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) that he was executing the GPS runway 27 instrument approach. The witnesses reported that the cloud ceiling was 200 feet above ground level (agl) and the visibility was 1 mile at the time the pilot called CTAF to report the approach. The witnesses observed the airplane break out of the clouds approximately halfway down runway 27. They heard the airplane's engine increase power and observed the airplane enter a left turn, then a turn back to the right around a water tower located southwest of CVX. The airplane stayed approximately 200 feet agl during the turn around the airport. The airplane then entered a right downwind leg for runway 27. Witnesses observed the airplane begin a right turn toward runway 27, pitch nose up, and then roll to the left in a nose high attitude. The airplane then disappeared behind a tree line and airport buildings. Another witness, who was located at a baseball field approximately 1/4 mile west of the accident site, reported he observed the airplane appear from the clouds heading to the west approximately 200 feet agl during the approach. At that time, the airplane appeared to be between the runway and the baseball field. The witness then turned his attention back to the baseball game. A few minutes later, the witness observed the airplane overflying the baseball field at a low altitude and airspeed. The airplane was traveling to the east and began to make a right turn toward the airport. At that time, the airplane's nose pitched up and the "tail dropped and fluttered." The airplane then banked to the left, appeared out of control, and dropped. The witness lost sight of the airplane behind trees and observed a "fuel spray" after the impact. The airplane impacted the yard of a residence adjacent to the north perimeter of CVX. The airplane came to rest upright, partially within a three stall garage attached to the residence. Rescue and law enforcement personnel arrived on scene shortly after the accident. One dog was found deceased at the accident site, and one dog was found the day after the accident walking around the surrounding neighborhood. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The private pilot held single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot reported 1,300 total flight hours on his FAA third-class medical certificate dated May 25, 2010. The pilot's logbook was recovered from the accident airplane. The logbook, identified as logbook number 3, did not contain a total hour amount forwarded from his previous logbook. The first logbook entry was dated February 28, 2004, for a flight in the accident airplane, and the last entry was dated June 19, 2011, for a flight in the accident airplane. In the recovered logbook, the pilot recorded 2 flights to CVX with the note "GPS" in the respective flight log entry. The most recent flight to CVX was recorded on May 29, 2009. The pilot most recent instrument proficiency check was completed on June 25, 2010, and at the time of the accident, the pilot logged 19 instrument approaches since the check. The pilot and passenger who sustained serious injuries were involved in an airplane accident on September 1, 2003 (see NTSB Aviation Accident Report CHI03FA291). The pilot was also pilot-in-command at the time of that accident. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was a Beech A36, serial number E-741. It was powered by a AV Power IO-550-B-AP turbocharged engine (Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) AV Power STC SE02881AT), serial number 274546-R, and a three-bladed, constant speed Hartzell propeller. The airplane was originally equipped with a 285-horsepower normally aspirated Continental Motors IO-520 series engine. A review of the FAA airworthiness records, and verified by the affixed engine data plates and hardware installation, revealed that the installed engine had been modified by an A.E.R.O. Aviation Company, Inc. STC as stated above. The modified engine was further modified with the installation of a Western Skyways turbo normalizer system STC (STC SE8677SW). The airplane was issued a standard airworthiness certificate on August 20, 1975, and was registered to Microjet, LLC, on May 15, 2003. The airplane was configured with four seats. The airplane was equipped with a Garmin GNS 530W GPS, a Garmin GNC 300XL TSO GPS, and a Garmin GDL 69 XM Data Link System. A review of the airplane's maintenance records showed that an annual inspection was performed on the airframe on December 12, 2010, at 5,514 total airframe hours. The digital tachometer reading at the accident site was not available due to damage. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION At 1914, the CVX automated weather observing system (AWOS) reported the wind from 260 degrees at 9 knots, visibility 1 3/4 miles, mist, sky broken at 400 feet, overcast clouds at 700 feet, temperature 11 degrees Celsius, dew point 10 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.71 inches of Mercury. At 1935, the CVX AWOS reported the wind from 260 degrees at 9 knots, gusting to 15 knots, visibility 2 miles, rain, overcast clouds at 200 feet, temperature 11 degrees Celsius, dew point 11 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.72 inches of Mercury. At 1954, the CVX AWOS reported the wind from 250 degrees at 10 knots, gusting to 14 knots, visibility 2 miles, drizzle, overcast clouds at 200 feet, temperature 11 degrees Celsius, dew point 10 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.72 inches of Mercury. No airmen's meteorological information (AIRMETs) or significant meteorological information (SIGMETs) were active for the accident location at the accident time. AIRPORT INFORMATION The Charlevoix Municipal Airport, CVX, is a public, uncontrolled airport located 1 mile southwest of Charlevoix, Michigan, at 45 degrees, 18.286 minutes north latitude, and 085 degrees, 16.520 minutes west longitude, at a surveyed elevation of 669 feet mean sea level (msl). The airport features one asphalt runway, Runway 9/27, which is 4,550 feet by 75 feet, and one turf run