FTW04FA036 · Beech S35

Prior to departure, the 6,000-hour instrument rated private pilot obtained a weather briefing and filed an IFR flight plan for 103-nautical mile flight, which he estimated to be a 45 minute flight. The flight was cleared by the ILS RWY 36 approach into his destination airport, which was an uncontrolled airport. While on the approach, the pilot reported on the airport’s Unicom frequency, that he was a "little" high and was going to make a downwind entry for runway 36. A witness first observed the airplane when it was midfield of the runway at an approximate altitude of 300 to 400 feet agl. The airplane then made a left crosswind turn; followed by another left turn and entered a narrow downwind leg for runway 36. While on the downwind leg, the airplane appeared to get "lower and slower than usual." As it crossed over buildings located southwest of the runway, it turned left onto the base leg, and made a steep bank as it turned onto final approach; however, the airplane "overshot" the runway. A second witness observed the airplane traveling north to south approximately 50-60 feet agl when it made a "hard" left turn. The airplane then made a "hard twisting movement" and the nose of the airplane pointed down toward the ground. The airplane came to rest upright in a 15-foot deep drainage ditch on a magnetic heading of 100-degrees, approximately 1/4-mile southeast and about 400 feet east of the extended centerline. There was no post-impact fire. The airplane, which was not equipped with shoulder harnesses, was configured with the landing gear down, the flaps extended to 12 degrees and the speed brakes deployed at the time of the impact. At the time of the accident the weather was reported as overcast skies at 700 feet with visibility at 4 miles. Flight control continuity was established and the examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that could have prevented normal operations.

Verbatim NTSB analysis and probable cause from the NTSB dataset