Mastery Flight Training, Inc.  Beech Weekly Accident Update archives

 

June 2005 Reports

 

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

 

Copyright 2005 Mastery Flight Training, Inc.  All Rights Reserved

 

6/2/05 Report

 

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

 

5/24 2330Z (1730 local):  “During landing in a gusty wind (a Be35) lost altitude and hit a wheat field and road north of the runway,” at Johnson City, Kansas.  The aircraft “then bounced onto the runway (and) the nose gear collapsed.”  The solo pilot reports no injury; damage is “minor” and the weather was “not reported.”  N2074G (D-3617) is a 1953 D35 recently (January 2005) registered to an individual in Burleson, Texas.

 

(“Landed short”; “Recent registration”)

 

5/25 1605Z (1205 local):  A Be35’s landing gear collapsed at Aiken, South Carolina.  The lone pilot, arriving from Fryeburg, Maine, was not hurt.  The extent of damage is “unknown.”  Weather at KAGS:  6000 scattered, visibility 10 miles, with a seven-knot wind.  N8441N (D-8789) is a 1968 V35A registered since 1977 to an individual in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

(“Gear collapse on landing”)

 

5/28 1755Z (1355 local):  A Be33’s gear collapsed while landing at Cedar Key, Florida.  The four aboard were not hurt; damage is “minor.”  Weather at nearby KPIE: “clear and 10” with a nine-knot wind.  N16CT (CE-843) is a 1979 F33A registered since 2002 to an individual in Dothan, Alabama.

 

(“Gear collapse on landing”)

 

5/30 0315Z (2015 local 5/29/05):  A Be36 “lost power and crashed short of the runway,” at Tacoma, Washington.  The two aboard each have “minor” injuries, the airplane “substantial” damage.  Weather: 4100 overcast, visibility 10 miles, with a variable, eight-knot wind.  N9017V (E-274) is a 1971 A36 registered since 1999 to an individual in Fox Island, Washington.

 

(“Engine failure on approach/in traffic pattern”; “Substantial damage”)

 

5/30 2015Z (1515 local):  A Be36 on a local flight at Houston, Texas, “stalled and crashed” while landing at Houston Southwest Airport.  The solo pilot has “serious” injuries and the Bonanza “substantial” damage.  Weather at KHOU: 2800 broken, 4000 broken, 5600 overcast, with visibility greater than six miles and a 13-knot surface wind.  N2015A (E-1306) is a 1978 A36 registered since 2003 to a Wilmington, Delaware corporation.

 

(“Stall in visual traffic pattern”; “Serious injuries”; “Substantial damage”)

 

 

 

NEW NTSB PRELIMINARY REPORTS:  All previously reported in the Weekly Accident Update, and subject to update per NTSB findings. 

 

**5/12 C35 engine failure at Rancho Santa Fe, California.  Change “Engine failure in flight” to “Engine failure—fuel contamination” due to “water and debris mixed with the fuel.”  The NTSB preliminary report states that the airplane was flown with an auto fuel STC.  Whether this was a factor in unknown; however, pilots should be cautioned that auto fuel, even that sold in pumps at airports, is not subject to the same inspection and handling requirements as Avgas.  Take extra care to detect possible contamination by rocking the airplane’s wings after fueling (to get any contamination out of possible “low spots” in fuel bladders), and allow plenty of time for water to settle out after fueling before testing the sumps.  Water takes approximately 15 minutes to settle through about one inch of fuel, so plan on an hour minimum if possible after fueling and before testing assuming a 4-inch deep Beech fuel bladder.**    

 

 

6/9/05 Report

 

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

 

6/3 1234Z (0734 local):  Two aboard a Be55 died, and the Baron was “destroyed,” when it “crashed on takeoff under unknown circumstances.”  Weather included visibilities at four miles in drizzle but was otherwise unreported.”  N656RS (TC-645) was a 1964 B55 registered since 1998 to a corporation in Mexia, Texas.

 

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

 

6/3 2110Z (1610 local):  During a “training” flight at Denton, Texas, a Be24 “left (the traffic pattern) for (the) practice area (to conduct) emergency gear procedures.”  Upon return to Denton the airplane “sustained minor damage”; pilot and instructor were unhurt.  Weather conditions were not reported.  N23PD (MC-408) is a 1976 B24R registered since 2000 to an individual in Southlake, Texas.

 

(“Gear collapse on landing following practice manual extension”—or so I believe we can assume; “Dual instruction”)

 

6/4 1900Z (1400 local):  A Be35 landed gear up at Del Rio, Texas.  The two aboard weren’t hurt; damage was “minor.”  Weather: 2000 overcast, visibility 10 miles, with a 10-knot wind.  N8944M (D-7940) is a 1964 S35 registered since 1996 to an individual in Watsonville, California.

 

(“Gear up landing”)

 

6/6 2104Z (1704 local):  A Be65 landed gear up at Orlando, Florida.  The solo pilot reports no injury; damage to the Queen Air was “substantial” and weather conditions were 3600 scattered, 4700 broken, visibility 10 miles with a nine-knot surface wind.  N60NK (LC-328) is a 1969 A65 registered since 1992 to an individual in Orlando.

 

(“Gear up landing”; “Substantial damage”)

 

 

6/8 2340Z (1740 local):  A Be35, departing Jeffco Airport, Denver, Colorado, “ran off the departure end of the runway and flipped on its back.”  The solo pilot has “minor” injuries; damage is “substantial.”  Weather was “not reported.”  N9TT (D-7800) is a 1965 S35 registered since 2000 to a corporation in Aurora, Colorado.

 

(“Runway overrun”; “Substantial damage”—density altitude was likely high at the time, but Jeffco has long runways and the airplane was based in the area, suggesting the pilot should have been familiar with high density altitude operations.  Other factors may have played a part)

 

 

 

NEW NTSB PRELIMINARY REPORTS:  All previously reported in the Weekly Accident Update, and subject to update per NTSB findings. 

 

**5/30 serious injury A36 crash at Houston, Texas.  Change “Stall in visual traffic pattern” to “Stall during go-around/missed approach”**

 

 

6/16/05 Report

 

FROM UNOFFICIAL SOURCES

 

4/30 (time not reported):  A Be35 over Victoria, Australia, was “cruising in smooth air” at “148 knots indicated” when it suffered a series of slow “drifts from heading” while on the autopilot.  Upon disconnecting the autopilot the Bonanza rolled and then “something let go in the yoke.”  The airplane rolled nearly inverted and the pilot reports he had “no roll control.”  Extending the gear and reducing power, the pilot was able to regain control by using “full left rudder,” then landed on a grass airstrip by using no flaps and maintaining “about 120 knots” to touchdown to maintain control authority.  Post-mishap investigation revealed a broken control turnbuckle that jammed the ailerons in a “hard over” position.  The aircraft is a 1968 V35A registered to an individual in Australia.

 

(“Control system failure”—and a fantastic piece of flying to get it down safely)

 

 

 

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

 

5/16 1627Z (1127 local):  All 10 aboard a Chilean Be65 died and the Queen Air was “destroyed” when it impacted terrain in Instrument Meteorological Conditions, in cruise near Patagonia, Argentina.  “Adverse weather conditions were noted in the area of the accident at the time of the accident.”  CC-CFS was a Beech 65-A80 operated by an air transportation company.

 

(“Controlled flight into terrain—cruise flight/mountainous terrain”; “Fatal”; “Aircraft destroyed”; “IMC”)

 

6/9 2030Z (1530 local):  A Be76 crashed during an attempted single-engine go-around during a local flight at Lonestar Airport, Houston, Texas.  The go-around was initiated from a position “about 20 feet above the middle of the airport” when the pilot apparently overshot the touchdown zone while attempting landing with the left propeller feathered.  Witnesses report the “right wing was “nearly straight up” before the airplane impacted the ground.  The solo pilot radioed he was going around after reporting a “simulated engine out” approach, with “no apparent stress in the tone of the communication.”  The pilot was killed, the Duchess “destroyed.”  Weather: “few clouds” at 4600, visibility 10 with a 19-knot surface wind.  N819ER (ME-199) was a 1979 Duchess registered since 2003 to a corporation in Houston.

 

(“Loss of control—attempted single-engine go-around”; “Fatal”; “Aircraft destroyed”—local press reports the Duchess crashed into an unoccupied house, ‘burning the house to the ground.’   The pilot of the airplane was living in Conroe, Texas and working as a multiengine flight instructor, according to the report.  Reduced drag from a feathered propeller will significantly increase the landing distance, and makes airspeed and glide path control critical.  The report does not ite the landing gear and/or flap position at the time of impact, but extension of either or both would make maintaining controllability airspeed during a single-engine go-around extremely difficult if not impossible)

 

6/11 1335Z (0735 local):  Departing Colorado Springs, Colorado, on a dual “mountain flying” instructional flight, a Be35 “experienced a slow rate of climb” after “partial power loss.”  The Bonanza impacted the ground about a mile north of the airport in the median of a highway.  The flight departed full length on KCOS’ 11,021-ft-long Runway 35L, under clear skies with 10 miles visibility and surface winds from 270 at four knots.  Ambient temperature was 11 Celsius and field elevation is just over 6000 feet.  The NTSB-reported density altitude was 7228 feet.  Despite “substantial” damage the pilot and instructor were not hurt.  N2FY (D-7329) is a 1964 S35 registered since 2001 to a Wilmington, Delaware corporation.

 

(“Impact with obstacle following takeoff/unable to attain climb”; “Substantial damage”; “Dual instruction”—from local papers: “’After liftoff, (the Bonanza) was unable to climb,’ said John McGinley, the airport's assistant director of operations and maintenance…. Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector Gerald Odom of Denver (said) ‘The instruments were showing it was developing full power, but the aircraft was not able to climb or increase airspeed…[the pilot] ‘realized the plane might not climb shortly after takeoff, so he kept the landing gear down.  The gear absorbed a lot of the impact,’ Odom said. ‘It was the reason [the two aboard] were able to walk away.’  FAA investigators will look at the engine to determine what happened.”)

 

 

NEW NTSB PRELIMINARY REPORTS:  All previously reported in the Weekly Accident Update, and subject to update per NTSB findings. 

 

**5/12 double-fatality B55 impact into mountains at 10,500 near Elko, Nevada.  Change “Crash/Unknown” to “Controlled flight into terrain—cruise flight/mountainous terrain.”  Mountian obscuration by clouds may have been a factor.**   

 

**5/16 Queen Air impact into mountains at the cost of 10 lives, near Patagonia, Argentina and cited above.**

 

**5/17 double-fatality B55 crash at Ipil, the Philippines.  “Initial reports from witnesses indicate the airplane exploded in midair just two miles from the Ipil airport, one mile from the shore of Sitio Sibakya, and exploded a second time upon impact with seawaters.”  Change “Stall/Spin during turn in visual traffic pattern” to “Fire/explosion in flight.”**

 

**5/23 Baron 58 landing gear collapse on landing at Gulfport, Mississippi.  Side-loads on landing may have contributed to the gear collapse.  Change “Weather not reported” to “VMC” and add “Substantial damage.”**

 

**5/30 A36 engine failure in the traffic pattern at Tacoma, Washington.**

 

**6/3 double-fatality B55 crash immediately after takeoff at Jeaneretta, Louisiana.  Very unusual circumstances.  Change “Takeoff/Unknown” to “Loss of control on takeoff/initial climb” and “Aircraft destroyed” to “Substantial damage”**

 

**6/7 S35 delayed abort and runway overrun at Broomfield, Colorado.  “Several witnesses reported that during the departure roll, the pilot appeared take off and the settled back to the runway and then take off again and settle back to the runway. One witness stated that the pilot appeared to abort the take off. The aircraft departed the end of the runway and rolled down the embankment, nosing over. The airplane came to rest 1,287 feet from the departure end of the runway.”  Change “Weather not reported” to “VMC.”**

 

**6/9 fatal Duchess VMc loss of control during an attempted single-engine go-around at Conroe, Texas, cited above.**

 

**6/11 dual instruction S35 partial power loss on takeoff at Colorado Springs, Colorado, cited above.**

 

 

 

6/23/05 Report

 

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

 

6/16 0611Z (2311 local 6/15/05):  A Be35 “crashed onto a freeway under unknown circumstances” at Pasadena, California, while en route from Red Bluff, California to Fullerton, California.  The two aboard report “minor” injury, while the Bonanza has “substantial” damage.  Weather in the area of impact was 3600 overcast, visibility 10 miles, with surface winds at four knots.  N5813C (D-2765) is a 1952 C35 equipped with an E-185 engine and recently registered (August 2004) to an individual in Independence, Oregon.

 

(“Engine failure in flight” [from press reports]; “Substantial damage”; “Night”; “Recent registration”—local media reports that the Bonanza “had engine failure late Friday due to a fuel problem on its way from…and crashed onto the Ventura Freeway…. Its wing clipped a Jeep, but the driver was not injured.”  Website photographs showed the airplane resting inverted on the freeway, landing gear extended, with both ruddervators crushed and both wingtips and tip tanks torn from the wreckage. Local authorities closed the freeway for several hours to clean up “a small fuel leak.”)

 

6/18 1425Z (0725 local):  A Be35 “lost engine power and made a forced landing on a dirt road,” at Apple Valley, California.  The two aboard, en route from Phoenix, Arizona’s Deer Valley Airport to Fresno, California, were not injured despite “substantial” aircraft damage.  Weather near the crash scene was “clear and 10” with a six-knot wind.  N3067C (D-5731) is an IO-470-equipped 1958 K35 registered since 1992 to an individual in Phoenix.

 

(“Engine failure in flight”; “Substantial damage”)

 

  

NEW NTSB PRELIMINARY REPORTS:  All previously reported in the Weekly Accident Update, and subject to update per NTSB findings. 

 

**5/14 C23 Sundowner hard landing at San Martin, California.  According to the pilot, “the airplane touched down at 75 knots, and the engine was at idle. After touchdown, the airplane ballooned, and came back down hard on the nose gear. The nose gear then separated from the airplane.  The airplane slid to a stop, and a small fire erupted in the engine compartment.**

 

 

 

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