Details still sketchy but 10 reported dead, very preliminary info says engine failure after takeoff:

https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-sma...airport-hangar

 

Terrible news. I hope the families can have some peace during this difficult time for them.

 

Was the plane privately flown or was it one of the 135 operators?

 

I can't find the article now but it sounded like the plane belonged to a 135 type outfit on the field. There's also security camera footage of the crash but it won't be released until the final accident report. The CVR has been recovered and is in DC.

Update, here's what they found with a search for the tail number:

Martelle, the fire department spokesman, identified the plane's registration number as N534FF. But he said authorities hadn't confirmed who owned the plane and were looking into whether it recently had been sold.

A Chicago-area charter company had listed a King Air 350I with that registration number as part of its fleet, offering it as a nine-seat rental starting at $1,800 an hour. However, the aircraft was no longer available on the company's website.

A search of the FAA registry did not turn up results for N534FF, but the plane's serial number is also tied to another registration, which the FAA links to an Addison company.

 

The airplane was registered to EE Holding LLC.
According to the NTSB briefing today - most likely a Part 91 flight from KADS to KPBI. Checkout the NTSB website for today's briefing.

The airplane was recently sold and the registration paperwork was in th system for N511EF. The pilots on the audio used the new registration with ATC.

 

It’ll be interesting to see what was done in the pre-buy. That would be the most recent maintenance unless something else came up after the sale. Did they open up the engines (C flange) and it didn’t go back together right, or did the buyers just bore scope them? This is assuming that the eye witness report of the left prop feathered is valid.

Too many questions right now and it’ll be awhile before we have any answers.

 

Today's NTSB briefing. They've listened to the CVR, at 12 seconds prior to impact there was confusion as to what was happening, at 8 seconds someone mentioned a problem with the left engine:

https://youtu.be/HmLd1Et2L6M


I really, really, hope this was something out of the ordinary that the pilots couldn't have reasonably been expected to correct in time. And not something like the Akron, OH and Teterboro, NJ accidents.

I haven't flown the King Air, my only turboprop time was in C-130's. All the rest is jet time. But I remember the old saying we had about the 2 main things that will kill you in a C-130 being Bleed Air and Props. The props did not auto-feather, you had to pull the condition lever back to do that.

 

This kind of crash in a twin turboprop usually involves on or more of these factors...

Engine fail/prop did not feather.
Prop governor fail.
Pilot didn't react properly to engine or prop problem.
Improper W&B combined with engine or prop failure.


Not familiar with the KA, but some prop failures can be hard or even impossible to control. W&B can do the same.

When I flew turboprops, I was always nervous about the props. I was always meticulous about the W&B.

Unless the pilot was inept, I would suspect some sort of prop failure, possibly autofeather, or W&B issue.

 

Unlikely to be W&B issue in a 350i. They can haul a lot.

 

8 pax from ADS to PBI may be a stretch. Even if weight wasn’t an issue, balance may have been. Add in a mechanical problem unrecoverable loss of control isn’t a stretch.