Beech A36TC accident near Tupelo, MS
On May 16, 2016, a Beech A36TC (airplane) was involved in an accident near Tupelo, MS. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 16, 2016
- Place
- Tupelo, MS
- Aircraft
- Beech A36TC · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.291°N, 88.765°W
- NTSB ID
- 20160516X05929
Official records · ERA16FA185
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn May 16, 2016, about 0835 central daylight time, a Beech A36TC, N60RW, impacted terrain in Tupelo, Mississippi. The airline transport pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed by postcrash fire. The flight was being operated as Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the airport, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight that originated at Tupelo Regional Airport (TUP), Tupelo, Mississippi, about 0830, and was destined for Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (CHO), Charlottesville, Virginia. According to air traffic control recordings, shortly after departing runway 36, the pilot advised the tower controller that there was smoke in the cockpit and that he needed to return to the airport. One witness reported seeing something fall from the airplane as it departed. Several witnesses reported that the airplane made a left, westbound turn toward the airport, at an altitude of about 500-1,000 feet above ground and then turned back toward the approach end of runway 18 while descending. Two witnesses reported seeing the airplane about 50 ft above them with smoke and flames coming from the bottom, left side of the airplane before it impacted terrain. Shortly after the accident, TUP personnel conducted a sweep of the runway and found the exhaust tailpipe and a fractured v-band coupling. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate and a flight instructor certificate with airplane single-engine land, mul
Probable cause
A preexisting stress rupture that initiated at a spot weld in the turbocharger v-band exhaust clamp, which resulted in the failure of the clamp and separation of the exhaust tailpipe, an in-flight fire, and subsequent impact with terrain.
More accidents in MS
- Cessna 336, Sep 15, 2004
- Piper PA-24-180, May 8, 1999
- Mooney M20C, Jul 30, 2005
- Beech A36, Dec 3, 1983
- Eurocopter Deutschland Gmbh EC 135 P2+, Mar 10, 2025
Browse: Mississippi · Beech aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
