Mastery Flight Training, Inc.  Beech Weekly Accident Update archives

August 2006 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 2006 Mastery Flight Training, Inc.  All Rights Reserved

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

7/26 1245Z (0845 local):  Departing Mason, Michigan, bound for Georgetown, Kentucky, a Be36 “experienced a power loss” on takeoff, “crashed off the airport and struck a building and vehicles”.  The pilot has “minor” injuries while three passengers report none; there are no reports of injuries to persons on the ground.  The Bonanza was “destroyed”.  Weather was 6500 scattered, visibility 10 miles with a five-knot wind.  N9205Q (E-271) was a 1971 A36 registered since 2001 to a corporation in Holt, Michigan.

(“Engine failure on takeoff”; “Aircraft destroyed”—it sounds like a good job of maintaining control to minimize injury) 

7/27 (time not reported):  In cruise flight on an IFR trip from Waukegan, Illinois to Dixon, Illinois, the pilot of a Be55 “reported [an] emergency [and that an] engine quit.”  The pilot “requested to go to [the] nearest VFR [airport].  [The] controller asked if [the pilot was] able to make Quad Cities [Airport].”  The “pilot answered negative and requested the ILS 25 approach at [Sterling, Illinois].”  The flight was cleared for the requested approach and subsequently crashed.  The pilot, alone in the Baron, received “serious” injuries and the airplane “substantial” damage.  Weather at Sterling: 200 overcast, visibility ½ mile in fog, with calm surface winds.  N127W (TC-1274) was a 1969 B55 registered since 1987 to a corporation in Lake Forest, Illinois.

(“Loss of control—single-engine approach in IMC”; “Serious injuries”; “Substantial damage”; “IMC”—the pilot was apparently doing a good job of flying the airplane on one engine and succumbed to an unknown problem while on the ILS approach.  This points to the hazard of overflying adverse weather conditions [in this case, bare-minimums IMC] when engine failure or other conditions may prompt an unexpected descent.  The pilot’s first instinct, to fly to VMC, was a good plan and perhaps may have resulted in a much better outcome.  The flight log of the 33-minute trip shows quite a bit of maneuvering before the crash)

7/27 2334Z (1834 local):  A local “sightseeing” flight in a Be33 at Lexington, North Carolina, was marred by a gear up landing.  Two aboard avoided injury and damage is “unknown”.  Weather was “clear and 10” with a four-knot wind.  N6032M (CE-848) is a 1979 F33A registered since 2004 to an individual in Lexington.

(“Gear up landing”)

7/28 2055Z (1555 local):  A Be36 en route from Huntington, West Virginia to Cahokia, Illinois reported “a rough running engine and landed in a field” one mile south of Riley, Indiana.  The pilot and two passengers were not hurt and there is no reported damage.  Weather in nearby Terre Haute was 6000 scattered, 7500 broken, visibility 10 with a six-knot surface wind.  N6727S (E-2100) is a 1983 A36 registered since 1995 to a corporation in Huntington.

(“Engine roughness in flight/precautionary landing”—sounds like the precautionary landing was done well.  A flight log from the following morning shows the Bonanza was flyable, making a fuel issue on the previous day a possible contributing factor)

7/28 2227Z (1527 local):  A Be35 crashed on takeoff into “an open area near the airport”, at Lone Pine, California.  The Bonanza had been on a flight originating in Las Vegas, Nevada, bound for Madera, California.  The solo pilot reports no injury despite “substantial” aircraft damage.  Weather conditions were not reported.  N346D (D-10108) is a 1978 V35B registered since 2000 to an individual in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

(“Takeoff/Unknown”—initial speculation includes possible engine failure and/or density altitude effects)

7/29 1510Z (1119 local):  A Be35’s landing gear collapsed on landing, at Clemson, South Carolina.  The two aboard the local flight weren’t hurt and damage is “minor”.  Weather: “clear and 10” with a nine-knot wind.  N804R (D-6030) is a 1959 K35 registered since March 2005 to a co-ownership in Easley, South Carolina.

(“Gear collapse on landing”)

7/29 1619Z (1219 local):  A Be35 landed gear up at Covington, Georgia.  The two aboard weren’t hurt and damage is “minor”.  Weather: 10,000 scattered, 12,000 scattered, visibility 10 with a surface wind at 10 knots and a surface temperature of 31˚C.  N7950D (D-5234) is a 1957 H35 registered since 2004 to an individual in Tucker, Georgia.

(“Gear up landing”) 

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

**7/16 A36 landing mishap at Somerville, New Jersey.  Change “Landed Long” to “Impact with obstacle following delayed landing abort”.  The report states:  “As the Beech A36 approached the destination airport at night, the pilot cancelled his instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. On final approach, the pilot lost visual contact with the runway environment when the airplane entered a ‘dense ground fog bank’ approximately 100 feet above ground level and 1/4 mile from the runway threshold. The pilot was ‘blinded’ by the reflection of the airplane's landing light in the fog, initiated a go-around, but the airplane struck a tree and impacted terrain seconds later. The pilot stated that he obtained the current Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) report minutes prior to the accident, and the field was ‘within VFR parameters.’ The pilot was also aware of the possibility of ground fog. The meteorological aerodrome report (METAR) for the time of the accident included 1 mile visibility in fog, with vertical visibility of 100 feet. The METARs for the preceding 4 hours showed the visibility to be equal or less than 2 miles due to fog and mist.”**

**7/23 double-fatality G36 crash at Bullhead City, Arizona.  Change “Takeoff/Unknown” to “Pilot incapacitation—alcohol impairment.  A third person aboard the airplane has "serious" injuries with massive burns form a post-crash fire.  “A Safety Board investigator interviewed a bartender who was employed at the Red Dog’s Saloon, an establishment recently purchased by the pilot. She stated that pilot and rear-seat passenger had celebrated their birthdays together the day prior to the accident, by having a party at the Red Dog’s Saloon. The night of the party it was decided that as a birthday present to the passenger, the pilot would take him for a flight to see the Colorado River the following day. The bartender further reported that the day of the accident, the pilot arrived at the saloon about 1030. He appeared to be in a good mood and refreshed; there was no evidence that he was hung over. While he was at the bar, she served the pilot two shots and two mixed drinks, and he never appeared to be intoxicated; the rear-seat passenger had about five drinks and was showing the affects of alcohol consumption. The front-seat passenger arrived that the bar about 30 minutes before the three of them left for the flight; she served him one drink and one shot. They all left the bar together about 1400 to 1500 and were picked up by a designated driver. The pilot indicated that the flight would be about an hour long.” A  “witness…stated that while he was inside his hangar, about 5 to 7 minutes after seeing the airplane depart, he heard the airplane approach the airpark. He heard the airplane at a high power setting maneuvering over the runway, as if they were buzzing the field or performing a flyby. He subsequently heard the engine noise stop and he ran outside the hangar. He observed a big plume of dust just south of the irrigation ditch at the end of runway 17.”  What a senseless fate and legacy to leave for three families.**

FROM UNOFFICIAL SOURCES

8/8 (time not reported):  A press report states a “cargo configuration” Be18 “was forced to ditch in a canal…on the west side of the island of Culebra, a municipality of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.”  The pilot and “crewmember” reported “unspecified mechanical problems” and were rescued by fishermen and local resident, then hospitalized “in stable condition.”  A spokesperson for the cargo airline said “the aircraft was returning from a cargo run to the island of Antigua, and was empty at the time of the accident. The aircraft is sitting under 20 feet of water in the canal, which lies under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth Department of Natural Resources. The NTSB and FAA are investigating, and will decide if they aircraft will be salvaged as part of the investigation.”  Registration and serial number information for the Twin Beech are currently unavailable.

(Crash/Unknown”; and on the basis of the report “Serious injuries” and “Aircraft destroyed”)  

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

8/2 1320Z (0920 local):  A Be45 (T-34) suffered a “partial power loss” on takeoff at Bainbridge, Georgia, and “collided with the ground during a forced landing.”  The lone pilot reports “minor” injuries and “substantial” damage to the Mentor.  “The pilot stated he had just retracted the landing gear on initial take off climb at 50 feet and 80 knots when the engine started a ‘popping’ noise and had a partial loss of engine power. The pilot stated he turned the boost pump on, the ‘popping’ noise continued, and he made a right turn towards runway 14. The airspeed decreased to between 58 to 60 knots. The airplane stalled and the airplane collided with the over run on runway 32. The airplane slid off the over run, down an embankment, ruptured the right main fuel tank, collided with a pine grove, and caught fire.”  Weather was clear, with nine miles visibility and a four-knot wind.  N342MN (BG-180) is/was a 1956 D-45 registered since May 2005 to an individual in Bainbridge.

(“Engine failure on takeoff”; “Substantial damage”—the pilot was very lucky to have survived this attempt to return to the runway from such a low altitude)

8/4 2040Z (1440 local):  On landing, a Be33 “blew [the] front tire and slid off the runway”, at Gillette, Wyoming.  The two aboard report no injury; damage to the Debonair is “substantial”.  Weather at KGCC was “clear and 10” with a three-knot surface wind.  N808R (CD-52) is a 1960 35-33 registered since 2003 to an individual in Vacaville, California.

(“Loss of directional control—blown tire on landing”; “Substantial damage”)

8/6 0009Z (1909 local 8/5/2006):  “On landing,” a Be19 “went off the side of the runway” at Eden Prairie, Minnesota.  The lone pilot avoided injury and the Sport has “unknown” damage.  Weather was “clear and 10” with a six-knot wind.  N214RS (MB-848) is a 1977 B19 recently (8/10/2005) registered to a corporation in Eden Prairie.

(“Loss of directional control on landing”; “Recent registration”)

8/7 1837Z (1337 local):  A Be24 completed a trip from Roanoke, Texas to Fort Worth, Texas, with a gear-up landing at Fort Worth’s Alliance Airport.  The two aboard the Sierra weren’t hurt and damage is “minor”.  Weather at Alliance was 5500 scattered, visibility 10 miles with surface winds at six knots.  N23PD (MC-408) is a 1976 B24R registered since 2000 to a co-ownership in Southlake, Texas.

(“Gear up landing”)

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

**7/27 “serious injuries” B55 engine failure during approach at Harmon, Illinois.  Change “Loss of control—single-engine approach in IMC” to “Fuel exhaustion” as a result of very reliable reports from the scene.  The Baron had been airborne approximately 35 minutes.**     

**8/2 T-34 engine failure and stall at Bainbridge, Georgia, cited above** 

UPDATE

Last week’s report of an 8/8 Be18 ditching in a canal at Culebra, Puerto Rico, is now subject of an FAA preliminary report.  The airplane is confirmed “destroyed”.  Weather: 3000 scattered, 8000 broken, visibility 10 miles with surface winds at 18 gusting to 27 knots. N498BH (s/n 39952) was a 1961 JRB-6 registered since 1995 to an individual in Antigua, Antigua & Barbu.     

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

8/13 1210Z (0710 local):  A Be58 “went off the taxiway and hit a taxiway light” while departing from St. Paul, Minnesota.  Two aboard the Baron weren’t hurt and damage is “minor”.  Weather: 4000 broken, visibility 10 miles with a six-knot wind.  N39HL (TH-1500) is a 1985 Model 58 registered since 2001 to a corporation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

(“Loss of control during takeoff”)

8/14 2010Z (1310 local):  One passenger reports “minor” injuries, while the pilot and two others were unhurt, after the pilot of a Be36 “declared [an] inflight emergency due to engine failure, diverted, and made a hard landing” at Hillsboro, Oregon.  The Bonanza, which sustained “minor” damage, was en route from Portland, Oregon to Campbell River, British Columbia when the in-flight failure occurred.  Weather at Hillsboro was “few clouds” at 25,000 feet, visibility 10 miles with surface winds at eight knots.  N18391 (E-1113) is a 1977 A36 recently (February 2006) registered to an individual in Portland.

(“Engine failure in flight”; “Recent registration”—a log of the flight shows it made little progress before going down.)

 8/15 1842Z (1142 local):  A Be33 landed gear up at Mojave, California, during a local flight.  The lone pilot wasn’t hurt and damage to the Debonair is “minor”.  Weather: “sky clear”, visibility 40 miles, with a five-knot surface wind.  N606V (CD-86) is a 1960 35-33 registered since 1981 to a corporation in Starkville, Mississippi.

(“Gear up landing”)

8/15 1900Z (1400 local):  During a local flight at St. Cloud, Minnesota, a Be76 landed gear up.  Two aboard escaped injury and damage is deemed “minor”.  Weather was “clear and 10” with a six-knot wind.  N3730C (ME-361) is a 1980 Duchess registered since 1989 to a corporation in Annadale, Minnesota.

(“Gear up landing”—from aircraft type, ownership structure, number on board and local operation, this has the hallmarks of a dual instruction mishap)

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

**7/23 dual instruction Be23 crash at Bowie, Texas.  Change “Landed long” to “Stall or spiral during go-around/missed approach”**

UPDATE

The 8/15 Duchess gear-up landing reported last week to have occurred at St. Cloud, Minnesota, is now reported to have actually happened at Maple Lake, Minnesota, during a round-robin (and almost certainly dual-instructional) flight from and to St. Cloud.

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

8/14 1440Z (0940 local):  A Be19 landed short of the runway during a local flight at Yankton, South Dakota.  One of the two aboard the Sport has “minor” injuries and the other was not hurt; damage is “substantial”.  Weather conditions were “not reported”.  N6544T (MB-365) is a 1968 19A registered since 2004 to an individual in Vermillion, South Dakota.

(“Landed short”; “Substantial damage”—Most Beecchcraft descend quite steeply when the power is pulled, so be careful to maintain enough power and airspeed to make it safely into the flare.  This has the hallmarks [airplane type, two on board, local flight] of a dual instructional mishap, but that is not certain)

8/17 1400Z (1000 local):  A Be35 landed gear up at Sidney, New York.  The solo pilot reports no injury; damage is “unknown” and weather “not reported”.  N7879R (D-8936) is a 1969 V35A registered since 1983 to a corporation in Flemington, New Jersey.

(“Gear up landing”)

8/18 0030Z (1830 local 8/17/2006):  A Be35’s landing gear collapsed on landing at Fort Collins, Colorado.  The two aboard were nit injured despite “substantial” damage.  Weather conditions were not reported.  N5982C (D-3334) is a 1952 C35 registered since 2003 to an individual in Laporte, Colorado.

(“Gear collapse on landing”; “Substantial damage”)

8/18 1559Z (1059 local):  “On landing,” a Be36 “veered off the left side of the runway into the grass,” at White Plains, New York’s Westchester County Airport.  The solo pilot was not hurt; damage is “unknown” and weather “not reported”.  N472JW (E-2964) is a 1995 A36 registered since 1995 to an individual in New York, New York.

(“Loss of directional control on landing”)

8/20 1815Z (1415 local):  A Be36 landed gear up at Champ Field Airport, Knoxville, Pennsylvania.  The two aboard were not hurt; damage is “unknown” and weather “not reported”. N3121S (EA-410) is a 1984 B36TC registered since 2003 to an individual in Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

(“Gear up landing”—yet another one)

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

**8/8 Twin Beech ditching off Puerto Rico.  Change “Crash/Unknown” to “Fuel starvation” [what else could cause simultaneous engine failures after 1.5 hours’ cruise flight?]”**

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

8/27 2250Z (1850 local):  A Be36 was landing on Runway 23 at Naples, Florida, when its left main and nose gear collapsed.  The solo pilot has “unknown” injuries and damage was “minor”.  Weather was “few clouds” at 4000, 5500 scattered, visibility 10 with surface winds from 310 degrees at eight knots.  N155FT (E-1922) is a 1981 A36 recently (June 2006) registered to an individual in Burnsville, North Carolina.

(“Gear collapse on landing”; "Recent registration"—a nearly direct crosswind from the right would tend to cause the airplane to drift to the left.  Might wind drift, not compensated for, have been a factor in the left main gear collapsing?)

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

**7/18 A36 hard landing at Bakersfield, California.  The pilot had extended his downwind to avoid wake turbulence form a departing MD80.  He reports having nonetheless encountered wake turbulence on short final.  The tower controller, in visual contact with the Bonanza, reports it extended to avoid possible wake turbulence but the Bonanza’s “nose was in an excessive nose-high pitch attitude and traveling very slowly. The wings started to rock back and forth. The right wing dropped, and the airplane immediately descended toward the runway surface. The airplane landed hard on the right main landing gear, resulting in it separating from the airplane.”  This appears consistent with a stall resulting from trying to stretch an extended traffic pattern, but is also not inconsistent with a wake turbulence encounter.  Add “substantial damage”.**  

**7/26 A36 engine failure on takeoff at Mason, Michigan.  The airplane was destroyed in a post-crash fire but the only injuries were “minor”.** 

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

Total reported:  151 reports 

Operation in VMC:  96 reports     (64% of total) 

Operation in IMC:   10 reports     (7% of total) 

Weather “unknown” or “not reported”:  45 reports     (30% of total)

Operation at night:  10 reports     (7% of total)        

Fatal accidents:  25 reports     (17% of total)

“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities):  4 reports   (3% of the total)      

“Substantial” damage:   41 reports     (27% of total) 

Aircraft “destroyed”:   23 reports     (15% of total) 

Recent registration (within previous 12 months):   37 reports     (25% 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  36 reports

Be36 Bonanza   31 reports 

Be33 Debonair/Bonanza   19 reports 

Be58 Baron   14 reports 

Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner  11 reports

Be24 Sierra  11 reports   

Be55 Baron    11 reports      

Be18 Twin Beech  5 reports 

Be60 Duke   4 reports

Be76 Duchess   3 reports 

Be19 Sport  2 reports

Be95 Travel Air  2 reports 

Be45 Mentor  1 report

Be56 Baron  1 report 

Be77 Skipper  1 report

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

LANDING GEAR-RELATED MISHAPS  (63 reports; 42% of total)

Gear up landing

27 reports (Be18; three Be24s; six Be33s; eight Be35s; five Be36s; Be55; Be58; Be76; Be95)

Gear collapse (landing)

26 reports (Be18; three Be24s; two Be33s; seven Be35s; six Be36s; three Be55s; three Be58s; Be76)

Gear up landing—known mechanical system failure

3 reports (two Be33s; Be60)

Gear collapse during taxi/on ramp

2 reports (both Be58s)

Gear collapse (touch and go)

1 report (Be55)

Gear collapse—takeoff

1 report (Be24)

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)

ENGINE FAILURE  (27 reports; 18% of total)

Engine failure in flight

10 reports (Be23; Be33; two Be35s; four Be36s; Be58; Be77)

Engine failure on takeoff

4 reports (three Be36s; Be45)

Fuel starvation

4 reports (Be18; Be23; Be35; Be36)

Fuel exhaustion

2 reports (Be35; Be55)

Engine failure in flight—rod/piston/cylinder failure

2 reports (Be35; Be36)

Engine failure in flight—loss of oil pressure

2 report (Be35; Be36)

Engine failure on takeoff—loss of oil pressure

1 report (Be33)

Engine failure on takeoff—engine maintenance test flight

1 report (Be23)

Engine roughness in flight/precautionary landing

1 report (Be36)

IMPACT-RELATED FAILURE ON LANDING  (20 reports; 13% 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

2 reports (Be35; Be36)

Impact with obstacle following delayed landing abort

2 reports (Be36; Be58)

Loss of directional control—blown tire on landing

1 report (Be33)

Landed short

1 report (Be19)

CAUSE UNKNOWN   (11 reports; 7% of total)

Crash/Unknown

5 reports (two Be23s; Be24; Be33; Be35)

Landing/Unknown

5 reports (Be18; three Be35s; Be58)

Takeoff/Unknown

1 report (Be35)

MISCELLANEOUS CAUSES  (11 reports; 7% of total) 

Taxied into obstruction/pedestrian/other aircraft

5 reports (three Be35s; Be60; Be95)

Bird strike

2 reports (Be33; Be55)

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)

IMPACT WITH OBJECT DURING TAKEOFF   (6 reports; 4% of total)

Impact with object/animal during takeoff

2 reports (Be55; Be60)

Loss of control during takeoff

2 reports (Be18; Be58)

Runway excursion—low visibility takeoff

1 report (Be33)

Failure to climb—contamination with snow/frost

1 report (Be35)

LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT  (5 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)

CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN  (5 reports; 3% of total)

Attempted visual flight in IMC—mountainous terrain

2 reports (Be23; Be33)

Controlled flight into terrain—cruise flight/mountainous terrain

2 reports (Be35; Be55)

Impact with obstacle/terrain during attempted visual approach in IMC

1 report (Be36)

STALL/SPIN  (4 reports; 3% 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)

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

Mastery Flight Training, Inc.

mastery.flight.training@cox.net

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

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