Beech M35 N338Z and Beech J35 N617Q accident near Fredericksburg, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot of the J35’s failure to maintain clearance from the M35, which resulted in a midair collision and the J35 pilot’s subsequent loss of control and impact with terrain.

NTSB analysis

The accident flight was a planned four-airplane formation practice flight. A Beech J35 was the flight leader and departed first along with a Beech M35. The third and fourth airplanes departed shortly thereafter. After takeoff, the M35’s landing gear would not retract, and the M35 moved to the “route” position (about 3 to 4 airplane widths away from the J35) to troubleshoot the landing gear problem. The third and fourth airplanes departed the formation, and the pilot of the J35 directed the pilot of the M35 to take the lead position back to the airport. While on downwind before turning onto the base leg, the pilot and observer of the M35 heard a loud “bang/wham,” and the airplane violently shook. The M35’s propeller assembly separated from the airplane and the pilot performed a forced landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its fuselage and left wing. The J35 entered an uncontrolled descent, impacted terrain, and was destroyed by postimpact fire.

Postaccident examination of the airplanes revealed that the J35’s propeller contacted the left forward side of the M35. Evidence of propeller contact was noted on the M35 engine, engine cowling, and nose wheel tire. Both airplanes were operating in the same landing gear and flap configurations at the time of the collision. A performance study showed that, about one second before the collision, the M35’s descent rate increased from 350 ft/min to 750 ft/min.

Based on the available information, the accident is consistent with the J35 pilot’s failure to maintain separation from the M35 while maneuvering.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN21FA043 for the full record.