SUMMARY: Reported Raytheon/Beechcraft piston mishaps, year-to-date 2006:

Total reported:  235 reports 

Operation in VMC:  151 reports     (64% of total) 

Operation in IMC:   18 reports     (8% of total) 

Weather “unknown” or “not reported”:  66 reports     (28% of total)

Operation at night:  25 reports     (11% of total)       

Fatal accidents:  41 reports     (17% of total)

“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities):  8 reports   (3% of the total)      

“Substantial” damage:   63 reports     (27% of total) 

Aircraft “destroyed”:   42 reports     (18% of total) 

Recent registration (within previous 12 months):   52 reports     (22% of total) 

(Note: FAA preliminary reports no longer identify the purpose of the flight involved in mishap.  Consequently the number and percentage of Beech mishaps that occur during dual instruction will become less and less accurate over time.  Since the late 1990s the percentage of Beech mishaps that take place during dual flight instruction has remained very consistently about 10%). 

By Aircraft Type:

Be35 Bonanza  59 reports

Be36 Bonanza   57 reports 

Be33 Debonair/Bonanza   26 reports 

Be55 Baron    20 reports      

Be58 Baron   18 reports 

Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner  12 reports

Be24 Sierra  12 reports   

Be18 Twin Beech  7 reports 

Be60 Duke   7 reports

Be76 Duchess   7 reports 

Be19 Sport  3 reports

Be95 Travel Air  3 reports 

Be77 Skipper  2 reports

Baron (model not reported)  2 reports

Be45 Mentor  1 report

Be56 Baron  1 report 

PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE (all subject to update per NTSB findings):

LANDING GEAR-RELATED MISHAPS  (92 reports; 39% of total)

Gear up landing

38 reports (Be18; three Be24s; six Be33s; thirteen Be35s; seven Be36s; two Be55s; three Be58s; Be76; Be95; Baron [model not reported])

Gear collapse (landing)

37 reports (three Be18s; three Be24s; two Be33s; nine Be35s; ten Be36s; four Be55s; three Be58s; two Be60s; Be76)

Gear up landing—known mechanical system failure

3 reports (two Be33s; Be60)

Gear collapse during taxi/on ramp

3 reports (Be35; two Be58s)

Gear collapse—takeoff

3 reports (Be24; two Be76s)

Gear collapse (touch and go)

1 report (Be55)

Gear collapse—known inadvertent pilot activation of gear on ground

1 report (Be55)

Gear collapse on the ground—engine not running

1 report (Be35)

Gear collapse on landing—known mechanical system failure

1 report (Be35)

Gear collapse (electrical failure)

1 report (Be55)

Gear up landing (electrical failure)

1 report (Be33)

Tire flat on landing

1 report (Be36)

Nose gear strut fracture/failure

1 report (Be36)

ENGINE FAILURE  (46 reports; 20% of total)

Engine failure in flight

14 reports (Be23; four Be33s; two Be35s; five Be36s; Be58; Be77)

Engine failure on takeoff

6 reports (Be35; three Be36s; Be45; Be77)

Fuel starvation

7 reports (Be18; Be23; Be33; two Be35s; Be36; Be76)

Fuel exhaustion

5 reports (Be33; Be35; three Be55s)

Engine failure in flight—rod/piston/cylinder failure

5 reports (two Be35s; two Be36s; Baron [model not reported])

Engine failure in flight—loss of oil pressure

2 report (Be35; Be36)

Engine failure on approach/in traffic pattern

2 reports (both Be36s)

Engine failure on takeoff—loss of oil pressure

1 report (Be33)

Engine failure on takeoff—loss of fuel pressure

1 report (Be35)

Engine failure on takeoff—engine maintenance test flight

1 report (Be23)

Engine roughness in flight/precautionary landing

1 report (Be36)

Engine failure—improper mixture management

1 report (Be33)

Smoke in cabin in flight/probable engine fire

1 report (Be36)

IMPACT-RELATED FAILURE ON LANDING  (28 reports; 12% of total)

Hard landing

7 reports (three Be23s; Be35; three Be36s)

Loss of directional control on landing

7 reports (Be19; two Be23s; Be24; Be33; Be36; Be58)

Landed long

4 reports (Be35; two Be36s; Be58)

Impact with obstacle following delayed landing abort

2 reports (Be36; Be58)

Landed short

2 reports (Be19; Be36)

Loss of directional control—blown tire on landing

1 report (Be33)

Loss of control during attempted go-around

1 report (Be36)

Loss of control on approach/in landing pattern

1 report (Be35)

Impact with animal on runway during landing

1 report (Be76)

Impact with obstacle on landing

1 report (Be60)

Impact with obstacle on final approach—attempted visual flight in IMC

1 report (Be23)

MISCELLANEOUS CAUSES  (19 reports; 8% of total) 

Taxied into obstruction/pedestrian/other aircraft

5 reports (three Be35s; Be60; Be95)

Bird strike

2 reports (Be33; Be55)

Midair collision on final approach

2 reports (both Be35s in a single incident)

Smoke in cabin in flight/possible electrical fire

1 report (Be58)

Blown tire on landing

1 report (Be58)

Window separation in flight

1 report (Be58)

Pilot incapacitation—alcohol impairment

1 report (Be36)

Apparent suicide

1 report (Be35)

Struck by taxiing aircraft

1 report (Be58)

Trim runaway

1 report (Be36)

Loss of directional control during taxi

1 report (Be36)

Struck by object propelled by wind storm

1 report (Be55)

Hangar fire resulting form another aircraft’s loss of control

1 report (Be35)

CAUSE UNKNOWN   (18 reports; 8% of total)

Crash/Unknown

11 reports (two Be23s; Be24; Be33; four Be35s; two Be36s; Be95)

Landing/Unknown

5 reports (Be18; two Be35s; Be58)

Approach/Unknown

1 report (Be55)

Takeoff/Unknown

1 report (Be35)

CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN  (10 reports; 4% of total)

Controlled flight into terrain—cruise flight/mountainous terrain

4 reports (Be33; two Be35s; Be55)

Attempted visual flight in IMC—mountainous terrain

3 reports (Be19; Be23; Be33)

Descent below IFR approach minimum altitude

2 reports (both Be36s)

Impact with obstacle/terrain during attempted visual approach in IMC

1 report (Be36)

IMPACT WITH OBJECT DURING TAKEOFF   (9 reports; 4% of total)

Impact with object/animal during takeoff

3 reports (Be36; Be55; Be60)

Loss of control during takeoff

3 reports (Be18; Be55; Be58)

Runway excursion—low visibility takeoff

1 report (Be33)

Failure to climb—contamination with snow/frost

1 report (Be35)

Loss of control-unintended liftoff during taxi test with gust lock installed

1 report (Be35)

LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT  (7 reports; 3% of total) 

Loss of control during practice maneuvers at altitude

1 report (Be33)

Loss of control-- approach in IMC

1 report (Be35)

Loss of control—pilot incapacitation

1 report (Be56)

Loss of control--In-flight break-up

1 report (Be24)

Loss of control—door open in flight

1 report (Be24)

Loss of control during takeoff/initial climb

1 report (Be55)

Loss of control—en route IFR in IMC

1 report (Be36)

STALL/SPIN  (5 reports; 2% of total)   

Stall or spiral during go-around/missed approach

2 reports (Be23; Be76)

Stall during circling maneuver in low IMC

1 report (Be55)

Stall/Spin on takeoff

1 report (Be60)

Stall/spin from cruise flight in IMC

1 report (Be55)

IN-FLIGHT VIBRATION/CONTROL FLUTTER

In-flight vibration/flutter of unknown origin

1 report (Be35)