NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On December 22, 2006, about 2136 eastern standard time, a Beech A36, N3704B, piloted by an instrument rated private pilot, was destroyed on impact with trees and terrain while being vectored on a missed approach north of the Lovell Field Airport (CHA), near Chattanooga, Tennessee. The personal flight was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. An instrument flight plan was on file and was activated. Night visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from the Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV), near Gainesville, Florida, about 1850 and was destined for CHA.

A transcript of conversations on a Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) approach control frequency for CHA, in part, stated:

Party making transmission Abbreviation

Bonanza N3704B N3704B

CHA Approach Control at Position 002, East ARE

Continental Express, BTA8133 BTA8133

CHA Approach Control at Position 002

Relieving Controller, East CPC1

Cirrus N609KG N609KG

Unknown UNK

2108:38 N3704B chattanooga bonanza three seven zero four bravo is with

you level six thousand

2108:42 ARE bonanza three seven zero four bravo Chattanooga approach

Chattanooga altimeter two niner niner five verify oscar

2108:49 N3704B two niner niner five and i do have oscar

2108:52 ARE roger

2108:55 N3704B let me know when i can start down zero four bravo

2108:58 ARE november zero four bravo expect lower in about three miles

you're not quite in my airspace

2110:16 ARE november zero four bravo descend at pilot's discretion

maintain four thousand

21210:20 N3704B alright ah zero four bravo down to four thousand

2117:16 ARE november zero four bravo descend at pilot's discretion

maintain three thousand

2117:21 N3704B alright down to three thousand zero four bravo

2117:30 N3704B ah chattanooga confirm ah i l s [instrument landing system] two zero

2117:34 ARE november zero four bravo affirmative

2117:44 ARE november zero four bravo did you copy

2117:47 N3704B yeah affirmative ah i l s two zero zero four bravo

2121:23 ARE november zero four bravo turn right heading zero two zero

vector to final approach course

2121:27 N3704B (unintelligible) right to zero two zero for vectors zero four

bravo

2122:03 ARE november zero four bravo maintain three thousand verify at

three thousand

2122:08 N3704B ah negative i was descending there sorry

2122:10 ARE november zero four bravo climb and maintain three

thousand

2122:14 N3704B alright up to three (unintelligible)

2122:21 ARE november zero four bravo say altitude

2122:24 N3704B three thousand zero four bravo

2122:26 ARE roger

2123:11 ARE november zero four bravo say altitude

2123:21 ARE november zero four bravo say altitude

2123:23 N3704B (unintelligible) little disorientated

2123:25 ARE november zero four bravo are you able to climb to three

thousand

2123:28 N3704B yeah i'm getting back to three thousand just a little

disorientated here

2123:31 ARE november zero four bravo do you need any assistance

2123:35 N3704B (unintelligible) ah i think i got it back under control

2123:39 ARE november zero four bravo you're not experiencing any

icing or anything

2123:42 N3704B ah negative

2123:48 UNK (unintelligible)

2123:57 ARE november zero four bravo do you have the aircraft under

control

2124:01 N3704B ah yeah yeah i got it under control

2124:04 ARE november zero four bravo are you on level flight

2124:09 N3704B yeah yeah i'm level

2124:12 ARE november zero four bravo roger when able say heading

2124:17 N3704B o k i'm ah on a north heading

2124:20 ARE november zero four bravo roger continue current heading

just maintain three thousand

2124:25 N3704B north and ah three thousand zero four bravo

2124:52 ARE november zero four bravo fly heading zero two zero

2124:57 N3704B alright turning to zero two zero zero four bravo

2125:09 ARE and november zero four bravo you're not having any

trouble with the aircraft are you

2125:12 N3704B no no no I just got a little disorientated there

2125:16 ARE roger it's ah yourself is disorientated not the not trouble

with the plane correct

2125:20 N3704B correct

2125:21 ARE november zero four bravo roger er you think you'll be able

to land the plane or do you need to fly around a little bit

and clear your head

2125:27 N3704B ah let me just clear my head a little bit here

2125:30 ARE november zero four bravo roger continue on the zero two

zero heading and maintain three thousand or would you

like to climb back up

2125:36 N3704B i'm gonna try an maintain three thousand on a zero two

zero heading zero four bravo

2125:41 ARE november zero four bravo roger maintain block altitude

three thousand to four thousand

2125:46 N3704B alright zero four bravo three thousand

2126:04 ARE november zero four bravo are you in the clouds or are you

ah v m c

2126:08 N3704B i'm ah full i m c here

2126:11 ARE november zero four bravo i'm sorry v m c or i m c

2126:14 N3704B i m c zero four bravo

2126:15 ARE november zero four bravo roger

2126:25 ARE november zero four bravo would you like to ah climb up

and ah try to get ah v m c or do you wanna stay in that alt

that altitude

2126:33 N3704B i think i'm o k zero two zero on the heading and i'm at

thirty three hundred i'll go down to three thousand

2126:40 ARE november zero four bravo roger

2126:43 BTA8133 an ah jetlink eighty one thirty three we we're [i m c] we were

v m c about ah five thousand feet ah ah probably about five

miles south of the field

2126:50 ARE jetlink eighty one thirty three thank you sir

2127:17 ARE november zero four bravo fly heading three six zero

2127:20 N3704B alright three six zero on the heading zero four bravo

2127:37 ARE and november zero four bravo let me know if you start to

feel disorientated again

2127:41 N3704B o k i think i'm ah i think i've got it under control now ah

down to three thousand on a ah zero zero zero heading

2127:48 UNK (unintelligible)

2128:33 ARE november zero four bravo turn left heading three three

zero

2128:38 N3704B left to three three zero zero four bravo

2129:07 ARE november zero four bravo i'm gonna take you out a little

bit farther (unintelligible) nice slow turn on to the localizer

2129:12 N3704B o k thanks zero four bravo

2130:27 ARE november zero four bravo turn left heading a two niner zero

2130:31 N3704B left to two niner zero zero four bravo

2130:51 ARE november zero four bravo continue left turn heading two

seven zero

2130:55 N3704B alright left to two seven zero

2131:01 ARE november zero four bravo the ah about fifteen minutes ago

the last regional jet inbound broke out about twenty one

hundred

2131:08 N3704B o k great zero four bravo

2131:35 ARE november zero four bravo turn left heading ah two five zero

2131:39 N3704B alright two five zero zero four bravo

2131:51 ARE november zero four bravo are you still feeling alright

2131:54 N3704B yeah i'm feeling fine now

2131:55 ARE november zero four bravo turn left heading ah two three

zero

2131:58 N3704B (unintelligible) two three zero zero four bravo

2132:22 ARE november zero four bravo five miles from hixon maintain

two thousand five hundred until established on the localizer

cleared i l s runway two zero approach

2132:31 N3704B o k ah maintain two thousand ah five hundred til

established on the localizer cleared i l s two zero zero four

bravo

2132:44 ARE and november zero four bravo turn right heading ah two

four five short vector for your turn on

2132:50 N3704B alright two four five

2133:19 ARE and november zero four bravo now turn left heading two

three zero maintain two thousand five hundred til

established

2133:25 N3704B two three zero and ah two thousand five hundred til

established

2133:43 ARE o k arron twenty i l s s one five three three you know are

are are ah closed ah notams and security hasn't changed

well you know all that from being a supe ah you're

2133:55 CPC1 (unintelligible)

2133:56 ARE got two i f rs one off dalton

2133:59 CPC1 o k

2134:00 ARE and one inbound to here chitokqua haven't hed

chitokqua in a while

2134:03 CPC1 oh yeah

2134:03 ARE november nine kilo golf is seven thousand i gave him the

dumbb bunni

2134:07 N3704B ah chattanooga can you give me thee ah the frequency for

the two zero localizer i'm not getting it i may

(unintelligible) have it dialed in wrong

2134:13 UNK unintelligible

2134:14 CPC1 what's the twenty loc

2134:21 ARE november zero four bravo roger stand by

2134:30 ARE november zero four bravo one zero niner point five

2134:34 N3704B o k one zero niner point five

2134:49 ARE november zero four bravo do you have it now

2134:51 N3704B ah yeah it's coming in now i'm a little left of ah right of

course

2134:56 ARE yeah i show you ah november zero four bravo slightly right

of course are you ah able to intercept it

2135:02 N3704B yeah i think i'm gonna pick it up ah looks like the

[glideslopes] starting to come in

2135:05 ARE november zero four bravo roger check altitude

2135:08 N3704B ah roger

2135:36 ARE november zero four bravo i show you slightly left of course

are you able to catch it or do you need vectors back out

2135:42 N3704B yeah i think i'm gonna catch it the [glideslopes] coming in now

2135:45 ARE november zero four bravo roger i show you slightly left of

the [glideslope] ... correction slightly left of the localizer

2135:52 N3704B alright i'm correcting now

2136:04 ARE november zero four bravo check altitude

2136:09 N3704B yeah i'm climbing back up

2136:11 ARE november zero five four zero four bravo radar er ah

approach clearance cancelled climb and maintain two

thousand five hundred

2136:24 ARE november zero four bravo climb and maintain three

thousand say heading

2136:31 N3704B alright i i'm climbing up to two thousand ah

That was the last recorded transmission from the flight.

A witness, who lived about a quarter of a mile from the accident site, stated:

At about 9:30 pm I was in my bedroom and I heard an airplane

engine rev up real high. I then heard sounds of impacts in the trees

behind my house. I then heard my neighbor ... yell that there was a

plane down.

According to Hamilton County Sheriff's personnel, the airplane wreckage was located about 2145 in a wooded area behind residences about eight nautical miles northeast of CHA by first responders.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held a private pilot certificate for single-engine land airplanes. He received an instrument rating on September 7, 2005. His logbook showed that he had accumulated 54.1 hours of simulated instrument flight time and 2.8 hours of actual instrument flight time at the time he received the instrument rating.

The pilot's most recent application for a FAA third-class medical certificate was dated December 14, 2004. He reported that he had accumulated 225 hours of total flight time on the application for that medical certificate. He was issued that medical certificate with no limitations.

The last completed page in the pilot's logbook showed that he had accumulated 366 hours of total flight time. That page showed that he had accumulated 29.1 hours of night flight time, 54.1 hours of simulated instrument flight time, and 14.3 hours of actual instrument flight time. He logged 3.9 hours of actual instrument flight time and four instrument approaches in the six month time period prior to the accident and he logged 5.6 hours of actual instrument flight time and three instrument approaches in the six months prior to that time period. The pilot's logbook did not contain an instrument competency check.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

N3704B, a 1980-model Beech A36, serial number E-1753, was a low wing, single-engine, six-place airplane, which had retractable tricycle landing gear. The airplane was equipped with a fuel-injected, air-cooled six-cylinder, horizontally-opposed Continental IO-550-BB (15) engine, serial number 573417, which was rated at 285 horsepower. A Hartzell, 3-bladed, all-metal, constant-speed propeller was installed. The airplane was equipped with an autopilot.

According to the aircraft's maintenance records, the last recorded annual inspection was dated June 4, 2006. The airplane had accumulated 3,687.5 hours of total time as of that inspection and the tachometer read 2,962.9 hours. The airplane's last altimeter and transponder inspection was completed on March 3, 2005.

An invoice and receipt showed that the airplane was serviced at GNV with 46.7 gallons of aviation gasoline (avgas) on December 22, 2006, at 1659.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

At 2053, the recorded weather at CHA was: Wind 190 degrees at 3 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition overcast 2,000 feet above ground level (AGL); temperature 15 degrees C; dew point 14 degrees C; altimeter 29.95 inches of mercury.

At 2125, the recorded weather at CHA was: Wind 210 degrees at 6 knots; visibility 9 statute miles; sky condition few clouds 500 feet AGL, overcast 1,800 feet AGL; temperature 16 degrees C; dew point 14 degrees C; altimeter 29.95 inches of mercury; remarks drizzle began at 2109 and ended at 2120.

AIDS TO NAVIGATION

CHA was served by an instrument landing system (ILS) approach procedure for runway 20. The ILS approach provided both lateral and vertical guidance for alignment for landing. The inbound magnetic heading for the precision approach procedure was published as 199 degrees. The approach procedure's inbound altitude to the DAISY non-directional beacon was published as 3,000 feet above mean sea level (MSL) or 2,500 feet MSL when authorized by air traffic control. The instrument procedure listed a straight in decision height altitude of 873 feet MSL. Runway 20 was equipped with an approach lighting system with sequenced flashing lights. The missed approach procedure was listed as; "Climb to 1300 then climbing left turn to 3100 direct GQO VORTAC and hold."

AIRPORT INFORMATION

The airport elevation at CHA was 683 feet above mean sea level (MSL). CHA was a controlled airport with two runways, 2/20 and 15/33. Runway 2/20 was 7,400 feet long and 150 feet wide. That runway's surface was composed of asphalt. A precision approach path indicator (PAPI) served runway 33 for visual approach guidance. Runway 2 and 15 were served by a vertical approach slope indicator (VASI). Runway 20 did not have a VASI or PAPI.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The wreckage was found about 20 degrees and eight nautical miles from the approach end of runway 20. The airplane's wings and fuselage were found fragmented in the wooded area on about a 307 degree magnetic heading in a debris pattern that was about 305 feet long. The separated sections of the wings were found starting at the southeast beginning of the debris field to about the middle of the debris. The propeller was found, separated from the engine, resting about the middle of the debris field. The empennage and fuselage were found in the middle of the debris field. The engine was separated from the fuselage and was found at the northwest end of the debris field.

An on-scene investigation was conducted. The flight control cables were traced from the cockpit flight controls to their respective flight controls. All flight control breaks were consistent with overload. The engine controls were traced from the cockpit to the engine and all separations in the cables were consistent with overload. A liquid consistent with avgas was found in the fuel tank selector valve. The selector was positioned to the right tank. A liquid consistent with avgas was found in the fuel manifold valve. The left magn

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's reported spatial disorientation which lead to not maintaining altitude/clearance from terrain and not obtaining/maintaining a proper climb rate during the missed approach. Factors were the night, the clouds encountered on approach, and trees.