Beech Piston Airplane Weekly Accident Update

Beechcraft Piston Aircraft Accidents posted 12/18/08 through 12/31/08

Official information from FAA and NTSB sources (unless otherwise noted)

Editorial comments (contained in parentheses), year-to-date summary and closing comments are those of the author.

©2009 Mastery Flight Training, Inc.  All Rights Reserved

All information is preliminary and subject to change.  Comments on preliminary topics are meant solely to enhance flying safety.  Please use these reports to help you more accurately evaluate the potential risks when you make your own decisions about how and when to fly.

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

11/5 (time not reported):  “The pilot [of a Be33] was landing at his home airport and requested [sic] runway 32 since the winds were reported from 320 at 6 knots. Dusk lighting conditions prevailed. The final approach is initially over trees, then opens into a cleared area where approach lights are positioned. After crossing over the trees on short final, the airplane seemed to drop and the pilot added power. The airplane contacted the approach lights and the airport perimeter fence before coming to a stop in the grass adjacent to the runway. The FAA inspector examined the airplane after the accident and found no evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure. The pilot concluded that he may have hit an air pocket. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper glide path during the final approach, resulting in a collision with the airport approach lights.”  N5891J (CD-919) is a 1965 C33 registered since 1996 to an individual in College Park, Georgia.

(“Landed short”—watch for those “air pockets” [sic] that form when surface wind flows over obstructions, and rising and falling columns of air create up- and down-drafts over varying surface features.  Dusk lighting may have been a factor.)

12/18 0255Z (2055 local 12/17/2008):  Approaching the end of an IFR flight from Chicago (Illinois) Midway Airport, a Be36 disappeared from radar and communication was lost near Louisville, Kentucky.  The crash was later located on a golf course north of Louisville; the solo pilot died and the airplane was destroyed.  Weather conditions were “not reported”.  N7472N (E-32) was a 1968 Beech 36 recently (September 2008) registered to a Mingo, Iowa-based corporation.

(“Approach/unknown”; “Fatal”; “Airplane destroyed”; “Night”; “IMC” [based on press accounts]; “Recent registration”—a local news story reveals the pilot had “reported to [Louisville] Bowman Field that he was in distress at 3:52 a.m.” before contact was lost.  The same story includes a video of the Bonanza upside-down on the ground.  The landing gear was extended and the right wing had been sheared off, presumably on impact.  There is a small accumulation of snow on the ground in the photo.  Weather had been at or below freezing at the surface with IMC to LIFR conditions and drizzle/snow for at least 24 hours prior to the crash, according to local sources.  TV news reports the morning commute was “tricky” because of “a couple of inches of snow” overnight.  Flightaware shows a flight from Midway to LOU Bowman Field but no track, and the only altitude information was at the very end of the trip.)       

12/20 2130Z (1330 local):  Two died, and the Be35 in which they flew was “destroyed”, when the Bonanza crashed into a residential area at Warner Springs, California.  The flight had departed Chino, California, about half an hour earlier.  “Visual meteorological conditions prevailed”.  According to the NTSB an “onsite examination of the wreckage…revealed that the airplane had impacted an open field in a nose low, wings level attitude…. The airplane came to rest in an upright position and there was no postcrash fire. The examination further revealed that the cabin and cockpit areas were destroyed, the empennage was intact, and both wings had sustained structural damage. The nose gear, both main landing gear, and the flaps were observed in the retracted position. The engine remained attached to the fuselage, and the three-bladed propeller remained attached to the engine's crankshaft. The presence of fuel by smell was detected at the accident site. The airplane was recovered to a storage facility for further examination.”  N1587L (D-9865) was a 1976 V35B registered since 1998 to an individual in Las Vegas, Nevada.

(“Crash/Unknown”; “Fatal”; “Aircraft destroyed”)

12/21 0250Z (1950 local 12/20/2008):  A Be58 descended into terrain eight miles from Trinidad, Colorado. The two aboard the Baron died; damage is “unknown”.  Weather for the night flight over mountains was “clear and 10” at the nearest reporting station.  C-GGBT (TJ-373) was a 1981 58P registered since early 2007 to an individual in Calgary, Alberta (Canada). 

(“Uncontrolled descent over mountains in high wind”; “Fatal”; “Airplane destroyed” [from news accounts it is unrecoverable]; “Night”—Local television news states the Baron had been refueled at Pueblo, Colorado shortly before disappearing over mountains en route to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  A search the following day located the Baron at the roughly 11,600-foot level, near the mountaintops along the route of flight.  High winds hindered helicopter efforts to reach the crash site for several hours.

A Flightaware track log suggests this may have begun as an IFR flight when “[r]eportedly, the airplane was in cruise flight at 18,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) when it began an ‘uncontrolled’ descent toward an area of rising mountainous terrain. The last known radar position placed the airplane at 12,800 feet MSL and one mile east of Vermejo Peak (13,367 feet MSL). A short time later a ground fire was reported by a passing airplane in the vicinity of the accident airplane's last known coordinates.” 

[Intermediate altitude ups and downs as indicated in the Flightaware record are fairly common as an airplane descends, and may not be indicative of actual altitude excursions by the Baron in its final moments.  Factoring out these excursions the Baron descended about 5000 feet in the roughly eight final minutes of flight, averaging 625 fpm vertical speed.]   

Winds aloft along the route of flight exceeded 80+ knots from west-northwest, setting up the likelihood of mountain wave in the clear, cold night air.  Alternatively it could have caused severe the extreme turbulence if the air was unstable.  The early descent may have been influenced, if not caused, by downward-flowing air in the mountain wave on the lee side of the ridge, which was almost exactly perpendicular to the horrific wind. [Graphic by Wally Terps was posted on a public AOPA message board])

12/21 2100Z (1600 local):  A Be23 crashed onto a road “shortly after takeoff” from Linden, New Jersey.  Two aboard suffered “serious” injuries and the Beechcraft was “destroyed”.  Weather was “VFR”.  N2109W (M-1432) was a 1973 C23 recently (July 2008) registered to an individual in Hampton, Virginia.

(“Takeoff/Unknown”; “Serious injuries”; “Aircraft destroyed”; “Recent registration”)   

12/24 2005Z (1505 local):  Landing at Batesville, Arkansas, a Be55 “ran off the end of the runway.”  The two aboard suffered “serious” injuries; the Baron “substantial” damage.  Weather was “sky clear”, visibility 10 miles, with winds from the northwest at seven knots.  N8775R (TC-1782) is a 1974 B55 registered since 1995 to an individual in Rockwall, Texas.

(“Landed long”; “Serious injuries”; “Substantial damage”—The runways at Batesville are 3079 X 60 feet and 6302 X 150 feet.  It is not reported which runway the pilot was attempting to use but prevailing winds may have made the shorter runway more attractive.)

12/27 2023Z (1523 local):  “Shortly after takeoff,” the pilot of a Be18 “reported engine failure” and the Twin Beech “crashed into a wooded area” near Fort Myers, Florida.  The solo pilot reports “minor” injuries.  Damage was “unknown” and weather “clear and 10” with a 13-knot wind.  N7765N (BA-413) is/was a 1959 E18S registered since 2004 to a Fort Myers-based corporation.

(“Engine failure on takeoff”)

12/28 1858Z (1258 local):  A Be33’s nose gear collapsed on landing at Addison, Texas.  The solo pilot was not hurt and damage is “minor”.  Weather was “clear and 10” with a five-knot wind.  N550L (CE-1190) is a 1987 F33A recently (August 2008) registered to an individual in Dallas, Texas.

(“Gear collapse on landing”; “Recent registration”)

12/29 1600Z (1000 local):  A Be33 landed gear up at Lantana, Florida.  The two aboard report no injuries; damage is “unknown” and weather “not reported”.  N66822 (CE-887) is a 1979 F33A recently (February 2008) registered to a corporation based in Boynton Beach, Florida.

(“Gear up landing”)

12/30 2305Z (1908 local):  Taxiing in the dark at Chattanooga, Tennessee, a Be35 ran into a portable helicopter dolly.  Damage to the Bonanza is “substantial” but the solo pilot was unhurt.  Weather conditions were not reported.  N400SC (D-4569) is a 1956 G35 registered since 1965 to an individual in Chattanooga.

(“Taxied into obstruction/aircraft”; “Substantial damage”; “Night”)

UPDATES FROM NTSB: Events previously appearing in the Weekly Accident Update:

**11/5 C33 descent into trees on landing near Atlanta, GA, cited above.**

**12/18 fatal Beech 36 crash near Louisville, KY, cited above.**

**12/20 double-fatality V35B crash near Warner Springs, CA, cited above.**

**12/20 double-fatality 58P descent into mountainous terrain near Trinidad, CO, cited above.**

SUMMARY: Reported Hawker Beechcraft piston mishaps, year-to-date 2008:

Total reported:  214 reports 

Operation in VMC: 134 reports   (63%)  

Operation in IMC:    14 reports   (7%)  

Weather “unknown” or “not reported”:  63 reports

Operation at night:  19 reports  (9%) 

Surface wind > 16 knots:  16 reports  (7%)             

Fatal accidents: 27 reports   (13%)  

“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 6 reports  (3%) 

“Substantial” damage: 67 reports   (31%)  

Aircraft “destroyed”:   28 reports   (13%)  

Recent registration (within previous 12 months):  41 reports   (19%)  

(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  49 reports  

Be36 Bonanza  36 reports  

Be33 Debonair/Bonanza  29 reports  

Be58 Baron  19 reports   

Be55 Baron  17 reports  

Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 16 reports 

Be76 Duchess  13 reports  

Be18 Twin Beech  6 reports

Be24 Sierra   6 reports 

Be95 Travel Air   5 reports  

Be60 Duke  4 reports 

Be77 Skipper  3 reports  

Be65 Queen Air  3 reports 

Be17 Staggerwing  2 reports

Be19 Sport  2 reports

Be50 Twin Bonanza  2 reports 

Be45 (T-34) Mentor  1 report  

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

LANDING GEAR-RELATED MISHAPS (89 reports; 42% of the total) 

Gear up landing

39 reports (Be18; three Be24s; six Be33s; fourteen Be35s; six Be36s; Be50; three Be55s; Be58; Be60; three Be76s)

Gear collapse (landing)

27 reports (Be17; three Be33s; six Be35s; two Be36s; Be50; three Be55s; three Be58s; two Be60s; two Be65s; two Be76s; two Be95s)

Gear collapse—pilot activation of gear on ground

5 reports (Be33; two Be35s; Be55; Be58)

Gear up landing—known mechanical system failure

4 reports (Be33; Be35; Be45; Be76)

Gear collapse (takeoff)

3 reports (Be18; Be36; Be58)

Gear collapse during taxi

3 reports (Be18; Be58; Be76)

Failure of nose gear to extend due to mechanical failure

3 reports (Be35; Be65, Be76)

Gear collapse on landing—known mechanical system failure

2 reports (Be55; Be95)

Gear collapse on landing: electrical failure/incomplete manual extension

2 reports (Be33; Be45)

Gear collapse on landing—known incomplete electrical extension

1 report (Be58)

...for more on Landing Gear-Related Mishaps see these data and this commentary. 

ENGINE FAILURE   (43 reports; 20% of the total) 

Engine failure in flight

19 reports (Be23; two Be33s; six Be35s; seven Be36s; Be55; Be58)

Engine failure on takeoff

7 reports (Be18; two Be33s; Be36; Be55; Be77)

Fuel exhaustion

5 reports (Be18; three Be35s; Be55)

Piston/cylinder failure in flight

3 reports (Be33; Be35; Be36)

Fuel starvation

2 reports (Be33; Be36)

Engine failure on approach/landing

2 reports (Be23; Be35)

Partial power loss: fuel line leak

1 report (Be36)

Propeller overspeed

1 report (Be36)

Engine failure—fuel system malfunction

1 report (Be36)

Propeller separation in flight

1 report (Be55)

Engine failure during go-around/missed approach

1 report (Be36)

...for more on fuel management-related mishaps see www.thomaspturner.net/Fuel.htm.  

IMPACT ON LANDING  (37 reports; 17% of the total) 

Loss of directional control on landing

9 reports (Be18; two Be19s; two Be23s; two Be33s; Be36; Be77)

Hard landing

8 reports (seven Be23s; Be35)

Loss of control on landing—strong, gusty winds

4 reports (two Be23s; Be58; Be76)

Landed long

4 reports (Be33; Be55; Be95)

Hard landing—strong, gusty wind

2 reports (Be23; Be36)

Landed short

2 reports (Be33; Be35)

Wing strike on landing

1 report (Be58)

Impact with animal while landing

1 report (Be76)

Impact with obstacle on landing

1 report (Be35)

Loss of control--attempted go-around in strong/gusty winds

1 report (Be55)

Nosed over on landing

1 report (Be17)

Bounced landing

1 report (Be23)

Landed long/failed to go around

1 report (Be36)

Landed short—precautionary landing due to loss of oil pressure

1 report (Be33)

Pilot-induced oscillation/propeller strike

1 report (Be35)

IMPACT WITH OBJECT DURING TAKEOFF   (11 reports; 5% of the total) 

Impact with object/animal during takeoff

3 reports (two Be36s; Be58)

Loss of directional control during takeoff

3 reports (Be23; Be76; Be77)

Collision with landing aircraft

1 report (Be36)

Blown tire/loss of directional control during takeoff

1 report (Be35)

Blown tire/loss of directional control during aborted takeoff

1 report (Be24)

Runway overrun—failure to abort takeoff

1 report (Be35)

Propeller strike on takeoff

1 report (Be36)

MISCELLANEOUS CAUSES  (11 reports; 5% of the total) 

Taxied into obstruction/aircraft

5 reports (Be23; Be33; Be35; Be76; Be95)

Pilot incapacitation—heart attack

1 report (Be58)

Bird strike on landing

1 report (Be33)

Gear door damage—ice accumulation

1 report (Be33)

Wing explosion—suspected fuel leak ignited by arcing electrical wiring

1 report (Be58)

Mid-air collision

1 report (Be35)

Collision with the ground during attempted low-level aerobatics

1 report (Be58)

CAUSE UNKNOWN  (11 reports; 5% of the total)  

Crash/Unknown

3 reports (Be24; two Be35s)

Takeoff/Unknown

3 reports (Be23; Be35; Be36; Be58)

Approach/Unknown

3 reports (Be33; two Be36s)

Forced landing/Unknown

1 report (Be36)

Ground/taxi unknown

1 report (Be33)

LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT   (8 reports; 4% of the total) 

Loss of control—single engine visual approach

3 reports (Be55; Be58)

Loss of control—airframe ice; in-flight break-up

1 report (Be35)

Loss of control on instrument approach

1 report (Be35)

Loss of control in flight: instrument failure

1 report (Be55)

Loss of control: thunderstorm/turbulence penetration

1 report (Be33)

Uncontrolled descent over mountains in high wind

1 report (Be58)

STALL/SPIN   (4 reports; 2% of the total)

Stall--attempted go-around in strong/gusty winds

1 report (Be23)

Stall/Spin during turn in visual traffic pattern in strong/gusty winds

1 report (Be35)

Stall/Spin on takeoff

1 report (Be55)

Stall on landing—returning with unidentified urgency

1 report (Be58)

IN-FLIGHT CONTROL VIBRATION/ FLUTTER/ AIRFRAME SEPARATION  (2 reports) 

In-flight break-up—probable pilot incapacitation

1 report (Be35)

In-flight tail vibration/flutter

1 report (Be35)

CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN   (2 reports)

Descent below IFR approach minimum altitude

1 report (Be36)

Airframe ice in cruise—unable to maintain altitude

1 report (Be60)

Recognize an N-number?  Want to check on friends or family that may have been involved in a cited mishap?  Click here to find the registered owner.   

Please accept my sincere personal condolences if you or anyone you know was involved in a mishap.  I welcome your comments, suggestions and criticisms.  Fly safe, and have fun!

Thomas P. Turner, M.S. Aviation Safety, Master CFI

2008 FAA Central Region CFI of the Year

Mastery Flight Training, Inc.

mastery.flight.training@cox.net

There's much more aviation safety information at www.thomaspturner.net.