NTSB Identification: CEN13FA089
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, December 04, 2012 in Manhattan, IL
Aircraft: BEECH 58, registration: N4016A
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On December 4, 2012, about 1438 central standard time, a Beech model 58, N4016A, impacted an open field near Manhattan, Illinois. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Bemidji Aviation Services under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a pipeline surveillance flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from Bemidji Regional Airport (BJI) about 0915. The intended destination was Joliet Regional Airport (JOT), Joliet, Illinois, after completion of the surveillance activity.

The airplane impacted an open field about 3-1/4 miles south-southwest of Manhattan, Illinois. Initial ground impact was about 80 feet long and oriented on an approximate bearing of 168 degrees magnetic. An impact crater about 8 feet by 3 feet by 2 feet was located at the south end of the ground scar. The right propeller assembly had separated from the engine, which was located adjacent to the impact crater. The right engine separated from the wing and came to rest about 950 feet from the initial impact. The right wing separated from the fuselage at the root; it came to rest about 430 feet from the initial impact. The main wreckage consisted of portions of the fuselage and left wing, the empennage, and the left engine. The overall debris path was oriented approximately 150 degrees magnetic.

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single and multi-engine land airplane, single-engine sea airplane, and instrument airplane ratings. He was issued a second class airman medical certificate in May 2012, with a restriction for corrective lenses. His most recent regulatory checkride was completed in March 2012. He had accumulated about 26,000 total flight hours, with approximately 11,000 hours in Beech model 58 airplanes.

The nearest weather reporting facility was located at JOT, about 11 miles northwest of the accident site. At 1435, the JOT Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) recorded conditions as: wind from 260 degrees at 10 knots; 10 miles visibility; clear sky; temperature 14 degrees Celsius; -1 degrees Celsius; altimeter 30.10 inches of mercury.

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