December 14, 2012, Amarillo, Texas – Beech Model E90 King Air

At about 1805 Central time, the airplane impacted terrain following an in-flight break-up. The commercial pilot and single passenger were fatally injured; the airplane was substantially damaged. Instrument conditions prevailed. According to communications and radar data, ATC cleared the airplane to FL210 and gave the pilot permission to deviate east of the planned route for weather and traffic avoidance. Shortly thereafter, the airplane appeared to turn to the north and the pilot did not respond to the controller’s radio transmission about the turn. The airplane’s outer wing sections, engines, elevators, and vertical and horizontal stabilizers were separated from the fuselage and located in several directions from the main wreckage, at distances up to one-half mile.

Key Takeaways:

• An airplane experienced a fatal in-flight break-up under instrument conditions, resulting in two fatalities.
• The incident occurred shortly after the pilot, cleared to FL210 and given permission to deviate for weather, made an unapproved turn to the north and became unresponsive to ATC.
• Major aircraft components, including wings and engines, separated from the fuselage and were scattered over a wide area, confirming structural failure during flight.

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