United States of America

The flight departed St. George, UT, at 0100 mst enroute to Salt Lake City (SLC). A flight plan was not filed. The weather forecast was for IMC with mountain tops obscured. The pilot requested flight following from SLC center and proceeded on the airways until about 40 miles south of SLC where radar contact was lost. Upon loss of radar contact, the controller asked the pilot what his altitude was. The pilot replied that he was at 10,500 feet. That was the last contact with the flight. After repeated attempts to reestablish contact, it was determined that the aircraft had gone down. A search was begun and the wreckage was found 30 miles southwest of SLC at the 9,500 feet level of a mountain. Both occupants were killed.

Evidence indicates that the airplane flew straight into the side of a 1,320 feet mountain at the 1,280 feet level. The recommended minimum flight altitude for this designated mountainous area, at night, is 3,500 feet. There was no evidence of any mechanical problems. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Approximately 10 minutes after takeoff, the pilot stated he was returning to land due to a problem. On final the aircraft rolled inverted and descended nose down into a residence. Engine examination revealed a failed supercharger intermediate drive shaft gear resulting in loss of supercharger on the right engine. The aircraft was approximately 300 lbs over max gross weight. The landing gear was down and the flaps were extended approx 20°. The left throttle was found in the full forward (high power) position. The right prop control was in full decrease rpm, high pitch and the right engine magneto switches were off. Witnesses had observed the aircraft descend to below traffic pattern altitude. At approx 200 feet agl a loud engine noise was heard and the slow flying aircraft pitched up, rolled right and descended vertically about 1/2 mile from the airport. The pilot had not declared an emergency or defined his problem. The pilot's last recorded flight in the Beech 65 was in February 1988. There was no record of a check-out or flight training in the aircraft. Both occupants were killed.

Aircraft entered an area of forecast moderate icing. Ice detection system had been intermittently inoperative. The aircraft entered holding in icing conditions while checking flight inspection equipment. Evidence indicated crew noted ice accretion, activated surface de-ice system, ice broke loose and entered engine intakes. Both engines flamed out. During emergency descent crew initially re-starts, but neither engine would sustain power. Crew requested vectors to more distant airport. Both pilots were seen drinking previous night. Copilot had recently lost drivers license for dui. Captain had decided to retire that day. Copilot had worked in flight ops 3 days in 8 weeks and had limited training in flight inspection. Both pilots had personal stresses which may have influenced performance. Captain's contaminated thoracic blood revealed 0.057% alcohol. Putrefaction would accentuated for part of alcohol level. Copilot had trace alcohol in urine only. Both engines showed compressor fod consistent with ice ingestion. No other aircraft system or engine malfunction found.

The aircraft collided with power lines and trees while on final approach. The reported weather immediately following the accident was an indefinite ceiling zero, sky obscured, and visibility 1/16 of a mile in fog. No preimpact failures or malfunctions of the aircraft were found. The pilot had diverted from his intended destination due to fog. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The pilot contacted the arsa controller for advisories after losing power on the right engine over an air force base. The controller advised the pilot that his position was near a civilian airport with limited maintenance facilities and an air force base. The pilot advised that he desired to continue to a larger civilian airport along his route where he could obtain service. The pilot then informed the controller that he could barley see the ground and that he was unable to maintain altitude due to the propeller not feathering. The aircraft overflew a small civilian airport and the pilot told the unicom operator that he would attempt to land on an interstate highway. The aircraft overflew the highway and impacted an electrical transmission line and collided with a residence. Post accident inspection revealed the right engine #3 cylinder head fractured allowing the head to displace outward 3/8 inch. Fracture resulted from fatigue at threaded area between head and cylinder. The propeller governor operated normally during functional testing after the accident. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The airport is next to Norton AFB. The weather on the dark moonless night was 1 mile visibility in fog and haze. The pilot completed an ILS to a low approach at Norton and received a special VFR clearance to proceed to Redlands. The circling MDA for Norton is 1,700 feet msl. Norton AFB elevation is 1,100 feet msl, and the Redlands Airport elevation is 1,572 feet msl. The circling MDA for Norton is 138 feet above the Redlands Airport elevation. The recorded radar data showed that the flight descended to 1,800 feet on the ILS, then the mode C varied between 1,700 and 1,600 feet. The last radar return was about 1 mile from the Redlands Airport at 1,600 feet msl. A witness on the airport saw the aircraft fly over runway 08 in a south to north direction, 'low and fast.' The witness heard the crash sounds immediately thereafter. Evidence at the accident site revealed the aircraft left wing contacted the ground in a 42° left bank in a slight nose down attitude. Few ground reference lights exist in the area and the pilot had minimum total night time. Both occupants were killed.

The pilot had just climbed to 2,500 feet when the right engine started to sputter. When he placed the fuel selector in crossfeed, both engines quit. The pilot elected to land in a field leading to substantial damage to the nose, wings, and tail section of the aircraft. A post crash inspection of fuel system revealed no fuel in the tanks or the fuel metering units for either engine. The pilot stated after the accident that the last time he refueled the aircraft was several weeks before and that it had been flown several times since its last refueling.

The pilot departed Salt Lake City on a pleasure flight to Bear Lake to overfly a home that he owned. Witnesses near the accident site stated they saw the aircraft circle over the house and then depart the area over a ridge of mountains. The aircraft turned out over the lake and was in straight and level flight shortly before it descended at a steep angle into the water. The autopsy performed on the pilot revealed coronary arteriosclerosis. The assistant medical examiner stated in the autopsy report the pilot 'may have been rendered incapacitated by an acute cardiac arrhythmia.'

Aircraft experienced a double engine failure. Pilot stated that immediately after the left engine failed, in climb to cruise, the aircraft rolled left, the stall warning activated, and the aircraft entered a left spiral. The right engine failed during the two-turn spiral. Pilot's attempts to restart the engines were unsuccessful. Pilot subsequently made a successful gear up emergency landing on a road, however, the aircraft was destroyed by post-crash fire. Investigation revealed that both engine fuel systems were contaminated with water and dissolved solids. Aircraft had just been refueled at a foreign airport. All seven occupants were uninjured.