Beech S35 N176Q accident near Lake In The Hills, Illinois

Probable cause

The pilot's excessive bank angle while on approach to land, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall and spin.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot and a flight instructor were in the traffic pattern conducting touch-and-go takeoffs and landings on runway 26. A witness reported seeing the airplane in a steep bank as it turned from the base leg of the traffic pattern to the final approach leg. The ground scars and damage to the airplane were consistent with an aerodynamic stall/spin at the time of impact. The wind at the time of the accident was reported from 220 degrees between 11 and 22 knots. The wind encountered on the left base turn to final could result in overshooting the final approach path. Most likely, the pilot was attempting to compensate for overshooting the final approach path and increased the bank angle to bring the airplane back on course. No preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were found that would have precluded normal operation. Investigators were unable to determine who was flying the airplane at the time of the accident; however, the commercial pilot did not hold a current medical certificate and thus was ineligible to have been acting as pilot-in-command.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12FA271 for the full record.