NTSB Factual Report

On March 23, 2015, at 1545 eastern daylight time, a Hawker Beechcraft G36, N936B, was substantially damaged when it struck a residence during a forced landing near Inverness, Florida. The private pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated from Marco Island Airport (MKY), Marco Island, Florida and was destined for Ocala International Airport (OCF), Ocala, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to preliminary air traffic control (ATC) radar and voice communication information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot departed from MKY about 1425. The flight proceeded uneventfully, and at 1539, was given a radar vector toward an initial approach fix for the RNAV (GPS) RWY 18 instrument approach to OCF. About 30 seconds later, the airplane began descending from its previously established altitude of 6,000 feet, and at 1540, the pilot advised ATC, "we've got an engine problem, I see a runway off to my left, what is it?" The controller then advised the pilot that the airport he was referencing was Inverness Airport (INF), Inverness, Florida. The pilot responded that he believed the airplane would be able to reach its originally intended destination of OCF, and asked to be routed directly there. The controller advised the pilot that INF was located to his 11-o'clock and 5 miles, while OCF was located to his 12-o'clock and 20 miles. The pilot again requested and was provided with a radar vector to OCF.

By 1541, the airplane had descended to an altitude of 4,000 feet. About that time, the controller asked the pilot to report the number of persons aboard and the airplane's quantity of fuel remaining. The pilot stated that there was one person onboard, that the airplane had 3 hours of fuel remaining, and "we've got an engine that's cutting out…" The controller again offered that INF was located to the pilot's 9-o'clock and 4 miles, to which the pilot responded, "we're going there now." The controller subsequently provided the pilot with the runway orientation at INF, and cleared him for a visual approach. The pilot acknowledged the transmission, and no further communications were received from the pilot. Radar contact with the airplane was lost at 15:43:45, at a reported altitude of 800 feet, about 2 nautical miles north east of the INF runway 19 threshold. The airplane subsequently impacted a residence located about 1 nautical mile southwest of the last radar-observed position, and about 1 nautical mile northeast of the runway 19 threshold.

The wreckage was subsequently recovered from the accident site and retained for examination at a later date.