Mastery Flight Training, Inc.  Beech Weekly Accident Update archives

 

November 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

 

 

11/8/2006 Report

 

FROM UNOFFICIAL SOURCES

 

10/23 0000Z (1600 local 10/22/2006) A reader reports a Be33’s engine began running rough, then lost power completely in cruise flight near Big Bear Lake, California.  The flight was in visual conditions.  The pilot, who had recently obtained type-specific training in the Bonanza, glided to a successful landing at Big Bear Lake with no injury and no further aircraft damage.  Investigation revealed a loose fuel line at the engine-driven fuel pump.  The engine had approximately 900 hours SMOH, with no calendar time SMOH given.  N1500B (CE-1768) is a 1995 F33A recently (August 2006) registered to an individual in Redlands, California.

 

(“Engine failure in flight”; “Recent registration”—and what sounds like expert handling of the emergency.  Thanks, reader, for passing along this account)

 

10/30 (time not reported): A Be35 reportedly departed Mulege, Mexico, en route to Escalon, California with two aboard.  The Bonanza reportedly “ran into bad weather in the north.”   The pilot “returned to the Serenidad and waited about two hours and made the decision to depart again to what it is believed to the North” and failed to arrive in the U.S. to meet customs.  The overdue notice states that the pilot is assumed not to be instrument rated.  A web site catering to pilots flying into Baja California posts that “it is presumed that [the Bonanza] either landed at a strip, made a hard landing damaging the aircraft so it cannot fly, or has gone down somewhere between Mulege and Calexico.”  Relatives of the pilot and passenger in the United States report they have had no contact with the couple.  N9667Y (D-7089) is/was a 1962 P35 registered since 2004 to a co-ownership in Escalon.

 

(“Crash/Unknown”; “Fatal”; “Aircraft destroyed”—hopefully better news will cause us to amend this report with an improved disposition for the two aboard) 

 

 

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

 

10/26 2250Z (1750 local):  A Be33 “crashed under unknown circumstances” at the completion of an IFR flight from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Houston, Texas.  The solo pilot was not hurt despite “substantial” aircraft damage.  Weather at KHOW was 2300 scattered, 4000 broken 13,000 broken, visibility 10 miles with surface winds at none knots.  N1096W (CE-436) is a 1973 F33A registered since 2001 to a corporation in Lancaster, Texas.

 

(“Crash/Unknown”; “Substantial damage”)

 

10/27 0300Z (2200 local 10/26/2006):  A Be55, making a night nonprecision instrument approach at Lawrenceville, Illinois, “crashed under unknown circumstances”, killing the solo pilot.  Airplane damage is as yet “unknown”.  The flight, conducted under IFR from Indianapolis, was on radar approximately 34 minutes before the attempted approach.  Weather at Lawrenceville was 400 overcast, visibility two miles in drizzle and light rain, temperature +11C with surface winds at 10 knots.  N1832N (TC-2413) is/was a 1981 B55 registered since 2000 to a corporation in Vincennes, Indiana.

 

(“Approach/Unknown”; “Fatal”; “Night”; “IMC”—the flight log of this trip shows nothing out of the ordinary.  Momentary altitude excursions recorded on the track log are common and probably indicate equipment error and not actual altitude deviations.)

 

10/27 1825Z (1325 local):  A pilot and his wife were unhurt, and aircraft damage was “minor”, after the pilot reported the engine “lost fuel pressure” shortly after takeoff from Augusta, Kansas.  The flight was intended to travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Weather at nearby Wichita James Jabara Airport was 1900 overcast, visibility 10 miles, with surface winds from 340 degrees at 18 gusting to 25 knots.  N8945U (D-7923) is a 1965 S35 registered since 2001 to a co-ownership in Wichita, Kansas.

 

(“Engine failure on takeoff—loss of fuel pressure”—Wichita area television news showed the Bonanza on a field just south of the Augusta airport with a collapsed nose gear.  The pilot stated when they lost power he attempted to turn back to the airport, and with the very strong northerly winds his Bonanza overshot the runway completely, touching down in the field.  When the nose wheel hit a rut the strut collapsed.  The pilot and his wife walked away from the crash.

 

10/31 0002Z (1902Z 10/30/2006):  A Be35’s nose gear collapsed while the airplane was tuning onto a taxiway, and the Bonanza “stopped nose down in a ditch,” at Abilene, Texas.  The two aboard were not hurt and damage is “minor”.  Weather: “clear and 10” with an eight-knot wind.  N8752A (D-2174) is a 1949 A35 registered since 2004 to an individual in Taos, New Mexico.

 

(“Gear collapse during taxi/on ramp”; “Night”)

 

10/31 1750Z (1150 local):  On takeoff, a Be35’s “engine failed [and the Bonanza] landed on a taxiway and scrapped [sic] a wingtip,” at Phoenix, Arizona’s Deer Valley Airport.  The two aboard were not hurt and damage is “minor”.  Weather at KDVT: “not reported”.  N9572R (D-6164) is a 1959 M35 registered since 2001 to a corporation in Scottsdale, Arizona.

 

(“Engine failure on takeoff”)

 

11/1 1618Z (1118 local):  A student suffered “serious” injuries and an instructor died when a Be76, on a training flight, “”reported engine problems and crashed” while attempting to land at Spruce Creek Fly-in, Daytona Beach, Florida.  The training flight had originated at Daytona Beach; the Duchess was “destroyed”.  Weather was “few clouds” at 2600 feet, 6500 broken 9000 overcast, with surface winds at 11 knots and 10 miles visibility.  N6017U (ME-159) was a 1979 Duchess registered since 2002 to a Wilmington, Delaware corporation.

 

(“Engine failure in flight”; “Fatal”; “Aircraft destroyed”; “Dual instruction”)

 

11/2 0101Z (2001 local 11/1/2006):  “On takeoff,” a Be76’s “nose wheel collapsed” and the Duchess “skidded on the runway” at Chesterfield, Missouri.  Three aboard the “pleasure” flight were not hurt; aircraft damage is “substantial”.  Weather: “clear and 10” with a six-knot wind.  N2013V (ME-79) is a 1978 Duchess registered since 2003 to a corporation based in St. Charles, Missouri.

 

(“Gear collapse on takeoff”)

 

11/4 1812Z (1312 local):  A Be58 landed gear up at North Little Rock, Arkansas.  The solo pilot was not hurt and damage is “minor”.  Weather was “few clouds” at 10,000 feet, 25,000 broken, visibility 10 miles with a 10-knot surface wind.  N25627 (TH-295) is a 1973 model 58 registered since 2003 to a Little Rock, Arkansas corporation.

 

(“Gear up landing”)

 

11/6 (time not reported):  There were no reported injuries, and aircraft damage is “unknown”, when one Be35 landed atop a second Be35 while both Bonanzas were landing a Los Alamos, New Mexico.  Weather: “clear and 10” with a three-knot wind.  N102H (D-7153), which landed on top of the other airplane, is a 1963 P35 registered since 1990 to an individual in Los Alamos; N5368E (D-5847) is a 1959 K35 registered since 2003 to a corporation in Taos, New Mexico.

 

(“Midair collision on final approach”—most midair collisions occur within 400 feet of the ground and aligned with a runway.  In this case, terrain and airspace over the Federal laboratory at Los Alamos dictate a straight-in approach from the east, so a standard traffic pattern was not available to aid in visually acquiring other airplanes.  Perhaps amazingly, neither airplane’s propeller made contact with the other aircraft, except for some tire damage to the airplane that ended up on top.  The occupants of the lower airplane had to be extricated by rescue personnel because the upper Bonanza’s landing gear prevented open of normal and emergency exits on both sides of the lower airplane.  Unofficial word from Los Alamos is that one airplane was transmitting on the incorrect frequency for UNICOM.  Regardless, this is a reminder that radio traffic alone is not sufficient to warn of potential airplane conflicts.  We have GOT to see and avoid.  Video news reports are available online.)

 

11/6 (time note reported):  A Be36 “landed gear up while making night landings,” at Hobbs, New Mexico.  The solo pilot was not hurt and damage is “minor”.  Weather was 20,000 scattered, visibility 10 miles with a five-knot surface wind.  N6060Z (E-2155) is a 1984 A36 registered since 2000 to a Hobbs-based corporation.

 

(“Gear up landing”; “Night”—the FAA preliminary report incorrectly  identified this as a Be35)

 

 

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

 

**1026 fatal B55 night approach at Lawrenceville, Illinois, cited above** 

 

 

11/16/2006 Report

 

UPDATE

 

Regarding the 10/26 B55 collision with terrain during a nonprecision approach at Lawrenceville, Illinois (previously reported in the WAU): the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) has released a statement that the mishap was in part due to a lack of local radar control that results from alleged FAA staffing issues.  In a media report NATCA blames similar ATC conditions for a multi-fatality non-Beech accident earlier this year as well.  Although ATC services might have aided the pilot in the event of a preexisting emergency that might cause the pilot to require traffic avoidance or informational assistance from the ground, and all pilots should use ATC services to increase status awareness and reduce cockpit workload when possible, it is hard to imagine a scenario where ATC services could be primarily responsible for a controlled flight into terrain assuming the accident airplane was in following IFR terminal and approach guidance.  It will be interesting what additional facts emerge as a result of the NATCA allegations.

 

 

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

 

11/9 2005Z (1305 local):  The lone pilot of a Be35 was killed, and the airplane “destroyed”, when it ran out of fuel shortly after takeoff at Shelton, Washington.  The pilot was attempting to return to the airport when the Bonanza appeared to stall.  Weather was “few clouds” at 2100 feet, 5000 scattered, with 10 miles visibility and a five knot surface wind.    A witness reported “‘everything sounded good during its run up’ prior to the airplane's departure from Runway 23. A second pilot-rated witness…stated that while in close proximity to the airport preparing to enter the traffic pattern to land, he heard the pilot state that he had a problem and would be landing on Runway 05. An instructor pilot who was in the process of landing on Runway 23, reported hearing the pilot say that he had experienced an engine problem and was on a 5 mile final to Runway 05. The instructor pilot further reported that after landing he observed the accident airplane in a slow descent toward the runway, then observed the airplane pitch up, followed by the right wing dropping. The instructor continued to watch the airplane descend until it disappeared behind a stand of trees. The skydiving pilot stated that he observed the airplane in a spiral just prior to it impacting terrain. There was no post-crash fire.  An on-site examination…revealed that the right wing fuel tank was breached, and that there was no fuel present in either the left wing tank or center tank. First responders, who arrived at the accident site about 15 minutes after the crash, reported no smell of fuel in the area upon their arrival.”  N2843V (D-248) was a 1947 Model 35 registered since 2004 to an individual in Union, Washington.

 

(“Fuel exhaustion”; “Fatal”; “Aircraft destroyed”)

 

11/12 0043Z (1743 local 11/11/2006):  A Be36’s landing gear collapsed while rolling out from touchdown at Yakima, Washington.  The solo pilot was unhurt and damage is “minor”.  Weather: 7000 scattered, visibility 10 miles, with a five-knot wind.  N8240H (E-2657) is a 1991 A36 registered since 1992 to an individual in Yakima.

 

(“Nose gear strut fracture/failure”—When the pilot contacted me he said the landing was smooth and on-speed in calm conditions, progressing to an oscillation that appears to be the result of the nose strut bending prior to failure, and then finally giving way.  The nose strut did not collapse into the wheel well, but instead the airplane slid on the remaining strut for about 1500 feet, grinding off about one inch of strut in the process.  The pilot has provided pictures of the fractured strut, which failed in a solid metal section of the nose fork.  Engineers and type-club technical experts are investigating what appears [at least for now] to have been a failure as a result of prior internal damage.  Watch Beech type-club publications for any follow-on as the failure is investigated)

 

11/12 2115Z (1615 local):  A Be36 “force landed in a field” near Pocasset, Oklahoma.  The solo pilot of the Bonanza was unhurt despite “substantial” damage.  Weather: 5500 scattered, visibility 10 miles, with surface winds at 14 gusting to 20 knots.  N711A (E-1428) is a 1979 A36 registered since 2000 to a partnership based in Chickasha, Oklahoma.

 

(“Smoke in cabin in flight/possible electrical fire” [from local reports]; “Substantial damage”—local press reports indicate the smoke-in-the-cockpit scenario, and remind us of the need to use shoulder harnesses)

 

11/12 2300Z (1700 local):  The pilot of a Be36 “declared an emergency” and “force landed in an open field” near Deer Valley, Phoenix, Arizona.  The pilot and four passengers were not hurt; damage is “unknown” and weather “not reported”.  N887CA (E-864) is a 1976 A36 recently (August 2006) registered to a corporation in Scottsdale, Arizona.

 

(“Crash/Unknown”; “Recent registration”)

 

 

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

 

**10/6 Baron 58 “landed long” mishap and hydroplaning in “heavy rain” and crosswinds reportedly gusting to 29 knots, at Annapolis, Maryland.  “Review of an airport facility directory for the airport revealed that runway 12 was noted as ‘extremely slippery when wet.’”**

 

**10/12 E55 fuel exhaustion and runway overshoot at Ontario, Oregon.  The NTSB preliminary meshes with a personal report I received from the pilot following this mishap.  “The pilot…departed [Friday Harbor, Washington] thinking the airplane had 115 gallons of fuel aboard, when it had 55 gallons of fuel aboard. The shortfall of 60 gallons was the result of a refueling request that the pilot made to a fixed base operator that did not take place and that the pilot did not verify had taken place. Fuel exhaustion occurred in both engines when the airplane was approximately 7,500 feet above the Ontario Airport. The pilot spiraled down over the airport and entered the pattern for runway 14. He intentionally elected ‘to err on the side of landing long and not have any risk of being short.’ On short final, the airplane was ‘clearly high and fast, pretty much as expected, but not slowing, which was not expected.’ The airplane touched down approximately 1,000 feet prior to the end of the runway, overran the runway end, impacted a concrete irrigation channel about 350 feet from the runway end, and came to a stop approximately 200 feet past the channel.”  In speaking with me the pilot notes two lessons for others to learn: (1) confirm all fuel loads before takeoff, by physically observing fueling operations if possible, and (2) pilots of multiengine airplanes are not usually taught the glide characteristics of the airplane in the event both engines quit, a task that can only be practiced in a type-specific simulator.**

 

**10/26 F33A engine failure and forced landing near Houston, Texas.  Change “Crash/Unknown” to “Fuel starvation” and add “Night”.  According to the report the “pilot reported to the NTSB investigator-in-charge …that before he departed HOU that he visually checked the fuel, and both tanks were at the three-quarter full level.” [This would be one gallon below the “bottom of the tabs” indication with a perfectly level airplane].  However, “according to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who responded to the accident site, the aircraft received structural damage during the forced landing. With the airplane still tipped up on it's [sic] nose due to the landing, the FAA Inspector observed that the left fuel tank was empty and the right tank had "about an inch" of fuel in the tank.”**

 

**11/1 double-fatality Be76 crash at Spruce Creek Fly-In, Port Orange, Florida.  “According to… the…Daytona Beach Air Traffic Control Tower, the flightcrew of the accident flight had been practicing instrument approaches at the Daytona Beach Airport, and was being vectored for the ILS runway 7L approach, when the pilot declared an emergency, stating that he had minimum fuel onboard, and that his right engine had ceased operating. The tower controller provided information [on] the location of nearest airports, and the pilot elected to proceed to the Spruce Creek Airport. At 1113, the pilot stated that ‘he was about to lose the second engine’, and at 1116, he reported the Spruce Creek Airport insight [sic], but added that he could not see the runways. The controller continued to provide assistance to the flight, and at 1117, informed the flight that they were on a right downwind for runway 23, to which the pilot responded that he was too low and could not see.”  There was a postcrash fire that may or may not indicate some fuel was still on board at the time of the crash.  Change “Engine failure in flight” to “Fuel starvation”.  It may be possible that both engines were feeding from the same tank, one in crossfeed, and the Duchess’ engines ran that tank dry.  This scenario has happened before, especially during multiengine training operations.  Pilots, and instructors, follow engine securing and engine restart checklists precisely to ensure fuel selectors are returned to the proper tank.  As a point, also, “minimum fuel advisory” does not indicate an imminent engine stoppage, but only that the pilot cannot accept any undue delay because of fuel concerns.  It would have been “more correct” to declare a low fuel emergency, although it seems in this case that would not have altered the outcome unless the crew had called a “minimum fuel advisory” much sooner and thereby avoided running out of avgas.**

 

**11/6 P35 and K35 collision on touchdown at Los Alamos, New Mexico.**

 

**11/9 fatal D35 fuel exhaustion on takeoff at Shelton, Washington, cited above**

 

 

11/21/2006 Report

 

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

 

11/17 0030Z (1830 local 11/16/2006):  “On final,” a Be35 “crashed into an open field short of the runway,” at Flagstaff, Arizona.  The solo pilot suffered “serious” injuries, the Bonanza “substantial” damage.  Weather conditions are “not reported”.  N8246D (D-5350) is a 1957 J35 recently registered (May 2006) to an individual in Chinle, Arizona.

 

(“Fuel exhaustion” [more in a moment]; “Serious injuries”; “Substantial damage”; “Night”; “Recent registration”—according to Phoenix-area television the pilot is a physician who uses the Bonanza to fly to remote Native American settlements in eastern Arizona once a week to practice medicine.  Apparently he was returning from such a mission at the time of the crash.  The same TV report stated that there was no fire, no fuel was found in the airplane’s tanks, there was no fuel spill and fire-rescue personnel report there was no fuel smell at the scene.  The pilot reportedly suffered severe head injuries and has been transferred to a neurological facility in “critical” condition.  This may serve as another reminder to (1) manage fuel more closely and (2) install shoulder harnesses, if they’re not already in the airplane, and use them at all times in flight).

 

11/20 2249Z (1749 local):  A Be36’s landing gear collapsed on touchdown at Monroe, Louisiana. The solo pilot was not hurt despite “substantial” aircraft damage. Weather was “clear and 10” with an eight-knot wind.  N4467S (E-694) is a 1975 A36 registered since 2004 to a corporation in Camden, Arkansas.

 

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

 

 

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

 

**There are no newly posted piston Beech NTSB reports this week**

 

 

11/29/2006 Report

 

FROM UNOFFICIAL SOURCES

 

11/26 (time note reported):  A reader reports he was following a Standard Instrument Departure (SID) procedure in Los Angeles, California airspace on autopilot in IMC when his Be36’s KFC225 autopilot indicated a pitch trim runaway, nose down.  Motion of the aircraft was reflected by the “PT down arrow” on the autopilot and a synthesized-voice “Pitch trim error, pitch trim moving” callout from the seven-year-old system.  The reader pulled the pitch trim circuit breaker and manually trimmed off elevator pressures.  His requests to climb into clear air above were declined because of traffic and he hand-flew in IMC approximately two hours, including completion of the SID, copying and complying with a revised clearance, and an actual GPS approach into Hollister, California that broke out uneventfully a few hundred feet above minimums.  “What I learned,” the pilot reports, “is that I should always be ready to fly any approach by hand. I realize that [Single Pilot] IFR is extremely workload intense.  Utilizing your [autopilot] is key to reducing work load – especially with your family on board.  It is one thing flying an approach utilizing the [autopilot] – it is a lot less stressful.  But, it is something else flying in true IMC – by hand with no flight director.”  The reader attends various types of A36-specific flight training every six months (Mastery Flight Training, FlightSafety International and BPPP to date, in that order) and credits regular hand-flying experience with making successful completion of his trim-failure flight possible.  N168JG (E-3253) is a 1999 A36 registered since August 2005 to a corporation in Gilroy, California.

 

(“Trim runaway”; “IMC”—and a great job of dealing with an unexpected and potentially catastrophic system failure.  Thanks, reader, for your report.  My only suggestion is that such a failure may be grounds for declaring an emergency to trigger priority with ATC, because if orientation relative to terrain or aircraft control begin to be lost it might be too late for ATC to be of help.  What besides ego prevents us from making use of emergency authority with a serious loss of aircraft capability?)

 

(Date and time not reported, but within the last week):  A reader reports: A Beech Baron, model not reported, was in night cruise flight when the pilot noticed “sparks” coming from one engine.  He quickly shut the engine down and secured it for landing, touching down at Lakeland, Florida.  Investigation revealed that an ECi cylinder, time in service not reported, cracked and “separated” in the area where the cylinder head mates with the cylinder proper.  A small fire had burned an instrument air pressure filter mounted on the firewall but there was no other significant damage.  Cylinder cracking was similar to what is called out in a recent Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) on ECi cylinders, which calls for repetitive, 50-hour inspections for cracks after 500 hours in service.  It is not known if the cylinder in this incident falls into the serial number effective range of the SAIB.

 

(“Engine failure in flight—rod/piston/cylinder failure”; “Night”—good job on getting the engine shut down quickly and landing safely.  Although the SAIB is not mandatory, it is a very good idea to inspect affected cylinders per its recommendations.  Thanks, reader, for your report)

 

 

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

 

11/22 1614Z (1114 local):  A Be36’s gear collapsed after landing at Lawrenceville, Georgia.  The solo pilot reports no injury; damage is “minor”.  Weather: “few clouds” at 3900 feet, 4700 broken, 5000 overcast, visibility 10 with a six-knot surface wind.  N17727 (E-1015) is a 1977 A36 recently (July 2006) registered to an individual in Statham, Georgia.

 

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

 

11/22 1945Z (1345 local):  During an “attempted force[d] landing on a highway” two miles from Mountain View, Arkansas, a Be35 “struck a fence”, causing “substantial” aircraft damage.  The solo pilot was not hurt.  Weather at Mountain Home was “clear” with nine miles visibility and a seven-knot surface wind.  N205DB (D-8060) is a 1965 V35 registered since 2001 to a co-ownership based in Cotter, Arkansas.

 

(“Impact with obstacle during attempted forced landing on a road”; “Substantial damage”—given the reported weather, chances are the attempted forced landing resulted from an engine failure of some sort.  There is no radar track or other data currently available to determine how long the Bonanza was in the air before the forced landing)

 

11/22 2355Z (1855 local):  An unidentified Be58, while apparently parked on the ramp at Saint Simons Island, Georgia, was struck from behind by a taxiing Cirrus SR-22.  There were no injuries and the “extent of damage is unknown to both aircraft”.  Weather conditions were “not reported”.  There is no registration information available for the Baron.

 

(“Struck by taxiing aircraft”; “Night”)

 

11/23 1525Z (1025 local):  On landing, a Be35’s left main landing gear collapsed, at Stuart, Florida.  The solo pilot was not hurt and damage is “minor”.  Weather: “VFR”.  N4261B (D-4238) is a 1955 F35 registered since 2002 to a corporation based in Yorklyn, Delaware.

 

(“Gear collapse on landing”—when was the last time you had your downlock tensions and overall landing gear rig checked by a true Beechcraft expert?  How many hours does your gear have on it since bushings or rod ends have been replaced?  None of this may have been a factor in this specific mishap, but it’s a reminder that landing gear requires regular attention)

 

11/26 0110Z (1710 local):  A Be36’s “engine failed on downwind” as the Bonanza, reportedly modified with a PT-6 turboprop engine, was completing a trip from Benton Field, Redding, California to Fullerton, California.  Two aboard the Bonanza have “serious” injuries and the airplane was “destroyed”.  Weather at Fullerton was “sky clear”, visibility 10 miles with calm winds.  N3144D (EA-472) was a 1987 B36TC registered since 2004 to a corporation based in Bend, Oregon.

 

(“Engine failure on approach/in traffic pattern”; “Serious injuries”; “Aircraft destroyed”—local television news reports the Bonanza “clipped the top of the roof” of one house about half a mile from the airport, before it “went into a wall between…two houses” and “came to a stop inside the second house.”  There were no reports of injury on the ground; there was no fire, and one of the two aboard the Bonanza had to be “cut out of the wreckage”.  A trip log shows the Bonanza flew nonstop from Redding and was on radar for 2 hours 55 minutes before crashing.  The pilot stayed low for some time, cruising at 5000 feet while averaging less than 150 knots ground speed, but climbed to as high as 11,000 feet and saw sustained ground speeds as great at 211 knots later in the flight.  Fuel burn with a turboprop engine may have been an issue with that much time aloft at inefficient low altitudes [perhaps chosen to avoid ice or other hazards].  A follow-on news report shows extensive damage to the Bonanza, provides a few more details about the crash and its aftermath, and indicates the airplane had been aloft approximately four hours and 10 minutes before the crash)

 

11/26 2100Z (1500 local):  A Be36 landed gear up at Harvey, North Dakota.  The lone pilot was not injured; damage is “minor”.  Weather: “few clouds” at 1700 feet, visibility five miles with a 12-knot wind.  N776YD (E-2463) is a 1988 A36 registered since 2004 to a corporation in Elbow Lake, Minnesota.

 

(“Gear up landing”)

 

 

 

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

 

**11/12 A36 engine fire in flight at Pocasset, Oklahoma.  Change “Smoke in cabin in flight/possible electrical fire” to “Smoke in cabin in flight/probable engine fire”**

 

**11/17 “serious injuries” J35 crash on landing at Flagstaff, Arizona.  Change “Fuel exhaustion” to “Fuel starvation”.  Five gallons of fuel remained in the airplane’s right tank; the fuel selector was found in the “auxiliary” position, and the aux tanks (and left main) were apparently empty.**

 

 

 

 

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

 

Total reported:  213 reports 

 

Operation in VMC:  140 reports     (66% of total) 

Operation in IMC:   14 reports     (7% of total) 

Weather “unknown” or “not reported”:  59 reports     (28% of total)

Operation at night:  23 reports     (11% of total)       

 

Fatal accidents:  38 reports     (18% of total)

“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities):  7 reports   (3% of the total)      

 

“Substantial” damage:   59 reports     (28% of total) 

Aircraft “destroyed”:   37 reports     (17% of total) 

 

Recent registration (within previous 12 months):   45 reports     (21% 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  55 reports

Be36 Bonanza   49 reports 

Be33 Debonair/Bonanza   25 reports 

Be55 Baron    17 reports      

Be58 Baron   17 reports 

Be24 Sierra  12 reports   

Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner  11 reports

Be18 Twin Beech  6 reports 

Be60 Duke   6 reports

Be76 Duchess   6 reports 

Be19 Sport  3 reports

Be77 Skipper  2 reports

Be95 Travel Air  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  (82 reports; 38% of total)

 

Gear up landing

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

 

Gear collapse (landing)

32 reports (two Be18s; three Be24s; two Be33s; eight Be35s; eight Be36s; three 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

2 reports (Be24; Be76)

 

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)

 

Tire flat on landing

1 report (Be36)

 

Nose gear strut fracture/failure

1 report (Be36)

 

 

ENGINE FAILURE  (46 reports; 22% 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

3 reports (Be35; Be36; 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  (27 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

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 during attempted forced landing on a road

1 report (Be35)

  

 

CAUSE UNKNOWN   (16 reports; 8% of total)

 

Crash/Unknown

9 reports (two Be23s; Be24; Be33; four Be35s; Be36)

 

Landing/Unknown

5 reports (Be18; two Be35s; Be58)

 

Takeoff/Unknown

1 report (Be35)

 

Approach/Unknown

1 report (Be55)

 

 

MISCELLANEOUS CAUSES  (16 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)

 

 

IMPACT WITH OBJECT DURING TAKEOFF   (8 reports; 4% of total)

  

Impact with object/animal during takeoff

3 reports (Be36; 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-unintended liftoff during taxi test with gust lock installed

1 report (Be35)

 

 

CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN  (8 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)

 

Impact with obstacle/terrain during attempted visual approach in IMC

1 report (Be36)

 

 

LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT  (6 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)

 

 

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)

 

 

  

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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!

 

 

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