Piston Beechcraft Accidents 5/31/2024 through 6/6/2024
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 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.
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THE WEEKLY ACCIDENT UPDATE IS AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCT OF MASTERY FLIGHT TRAINING, INC.
New reports this week
6/1 2056Z (1356 local Saturday afternoon): A Be33 “had engine failure” and “landed hard,” then “suffered post-landing gear detachment” at San Diego, California. The three aboard escaped injury; airplane damage is “unknown.” N1259M (CE-175) is a 1967 C33A.
(“Engine failure in the traffic pattern,” “Substantial damage” [on the basis of online photographs]—the pilot reported “mayday” with an “engine failure” when he was on base, following traffic for landing. A local pilot emailed me:
It appears that the left wing deformed in the hard landing, in addition to the nose wheel collapsing and a prop strike. If the former is true, the aircraft is likely a total loss.
From the radio transmissions it appears that the pilot was distracted. I am wondering if he shut the fuel inadvertently (in attempting to change tank), or if simply forgot to switch fuel tanks and exhausted the fuel. Some pilots still use the “G” in “GUMPS” to mean “switch to the fullest tank” – even if you are already in the pattern. I recommend using “G” to confirm that we are feeding from a tank that has gas. No tank changes immediately before takeoff or when close to the ground on arrival!
In other words – is this is really fuel exhaustion [and] not an engine failure? Fortunately, the power loss happened on base, so the pilot was able to make it to the runway. Good choice on his behalf on choosing the wider runway with the displaced threshold. He made to the paved portion of the runway.
We don’t yet know what caused the engine failure, but this is a good reminder to avoid switching fuel tanks in the pattern or when close to the ground).
New NTSB reports this week
5/15 triple-fatality V35TC inflight breakup at Franklin, Tennessee.
Very shortly after this accident occurred AVWeb’s Mark Phelps provided an initial report of the tragedy. Privately he asked my for my comments, and—marked not yet for publication—I sent him this response:
The typical inflight breakup scenario in V-tails involves this:
- Pilot loses control for some reason and the airplane enters a spiral dive.
- Airplane exceeds VNE and exceeds ultimate load (6.6G, in this case), or perhaps, pilot rolls wings level from high-speed dive and (a) overstresses the airplane with rolling Gs, or (b) the airplane’s pitch stability causes a rapid pull-up that exceeds the airplane’s ultimate load (any pitch-stable airplane will do this, not just Bonanzas).
- In the case of V-tails, the stabilizer spar(s) fail and one or both V-stabilizers separates from the fuselage.
- With the loss of stabilizer(s) the airplane pitches sharply downward relative to the airplane’s pitch axis.
- The downward pitch is strong enough to cause the wing spar(s) to fail. Failure is upward relative to the airframe, a negative G condition that tells the “tail” of the first structural failure.
- Wing spar failure is usually at either about Station 66, toward outboard in the wheel wells and in about the same location as spar failure in the T-34 inflight breakups, or in the spar carry-through structure inside the cabin (this is unrelated to the carry-through spar web AD). If the carry-through structure fails the cabin typically breaks apart and the passenger seats are ejected from the aircraft. In either event it would be a terrifying ride from there.
Straight tail Bonanzas tend to have about the same rate of inflight LOC as V-tails, proportionate to the number of airframes in service (Beech did that research many years ago). But the straight tails tend to stay intact on the way down and hit the ground vertically in one piece. Terrifying also, but not quite the same in the headlines.
I read somewhere long ago that the rate of inflight LOC in Cessna 210s is greater than that of Bonanzas, but again they don’t break up in flight. I can’t find that source now and don’t have time to do the primary research, unfortunately.
I believe I saw a photo of the wreckage of the airplane in question on a trailer, and at least one V-stabilizer was missing. It would be interesting to see whether the wings separated “up” or “down” relative to the airframe. Short summation: Keep the airplane under control. If it begins to spiral, execute a trained and practiced spiral recovery before it’s too late.
Later, when the NTSB preliminary report was published it included these details:
The first pieces of wreckage recovered at the beginning of the path consisted of the separated elevator-rudders (ruddervators)…. Both wings separated from the fuselage and were found about 2,000 ft further west, followed by the main fuselage fragments, seats, and instrument panel. The engine and propeller assembly were the final pieces discovered at the end of the wreckage path….
The left wing separated from the fuselage at the root and was largely intact. Fuel with the blue color and smell of aviation gasoline spilled out from the main fuel tank at the wing root. The left wingtip fuel tank was intact and contained no fuel. The top, forward wing mounting bolt fractured and pulled through the wing spar attach fitting. The aft two mounting bolts pulled through both wing spar attach fittings. The left wing main spar displayed signatures consistent with bending overload separation in the downward (negative) direction.
The right wing was also from the fuselage. The right wingtip fuel tank separated from the wing and was split open. The wing forward spar attach point was intact and remained connected to the center section that was separated from the fuselage. The right wing rear spar was separated at the attach point. The rear center section was separated from the fuselage. The right rear upper attach bolt was intact and retained in the intact center section bathtub fitting. The right rear upper wing fitting was fractured and pulled from the wing structure. The rear lower attach bolt was intact and retained in the rear lower wing fitting….
The stabilator spars exhibited symmetrical deformation where the spars were bent aft and twisted leading edge down. The fracture surfaces had slant angles. The right stabilizer was separated and had more than half of the right ruddervator attached. The ruddervator trailing edge was separated and the skins were splayed open. Only a portion of the left inboard ruddervator was recovered. The deformation of the stabilizer spars on both sides exhibited features consistent with downward failure.
Upon reading the report I wrote again to Mark:
The NTSB preliminary report describes an accident sequence beginning with departure from controlled flight for unknown reasons that led to a steep spiral dive from which the pilot does not recover. This in turn leads to exceeding VNE and stressing the airframe beyond design limits, resulting in an inflight breakup. The only anomaly in this report is that it appears the left wing’s top, forward wing bolt “fractured.” If true, this is the first documented case of wing bolt failure in flight in a Bonanza. It may be the fitting failed and the bolt remained intact, and the NTSB was not clear in its preliminary report. But description of damage to the other wing attach points is different, so if in fact the bolt itself failed this may be a bellwether.
I hope that is not the case.
2024 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2024
Total reported: 54 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 21 reports
Operation in IMC: 1 report
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 32 reports
Operation at night: 6 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 5 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 14 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 7 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 44 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be35 Bonanza 16 reports
Be36 Bonanza 10 reports
Be55 Baron 10 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 7 reports
Be58 Baron 3 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 17 reports
Operation in IMC: 1 report
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 25 reports
Operation at night: 5 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 6 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 9 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 6 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 7 reports
Impact during landing 2 reports
Collision with obstacle during landing 1 report (Be55)
Landed short/Collided with vehicle on ground 1 report (Be55)
Loss of Control in Flight (LOC-I) 2 reports
Stall/spin/Loss of control in flight/Dual instruction 1 report (Be55)
Inflight breakup 1 report (Be35)
Inflight fire
Fire in flight during go-around 1 report (Be35)
Impact during takeoff
Takeoff/unknown/attempt to return to runway 1 report (Be36)
OTHER EVENTS 37 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 20 reports
Gear up landing 7 reports (Be23/24, three Be35s; two Be36s; Be55)
Gear collapse during landing 6 reports (two Be33s; Be35; Be36; two Be55s)
Inadvertent gear retraction during landing 1 report (Be58)
Inadvertent gear retraction during taxi 1 report (Be35)
Wheel separation during landing 1 report (Be36)
Gear collapse during landing/Post-crash fire 1 report (Be36)
Inadvertent gear retraction on the ground/touch and go 1 report (Be35)
Impact during landing 5 reports
Runway overrun/door open after liftoff/attempted to land on remaining runway/nose gear collapse 1 report (Be33)
Loss of directional control during landing 1 report (Be35)
Propeller strike/damage to both wings during landing 1 report (Be35)
Loss of control during landing/airplane flipped upside down 1 report (Be55)
Porpoised on landing 1 report (Be33)
Engine failure 5 reports
Engine failure in flight 2 reports (both Be35s)
Engine failure during takeoff/overran runaway 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure/oil pressure loss in flight/off-airport landing 1 report (Be36)
Engine failure in the traffic pattern 1 report (Be33)
Impact during takeoff 3 reports
Runway overrun/aborted takeoff 1 report (Be58)
Loss of directional control during takeoff/crosswinds 1 report (Be35)
Takeoff/unknown 1 report (Be35)
Miscellaneous
Bird strike 2 reports (Be33; Be36)
Severe turbulence/hail encounter 1 report (Be58)
Taxiway excursion at night 1 report (Be36)
Cowling came off in flight 1 report (Be36)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 10 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 4 reports
Be24 Sierra 4 reports
Be76 Duchess 2 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 5 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 5 reports
Operation at night: 0 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 0 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 3 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 1 report
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 0 reports
OTHER EVENTS 10 reports
Impact on landing 4 reports
Loss of directional control during landing/runway excursion 2 reports (Be23; Be23-24)
Hard landing/nose gear collapse/destroyed by fire 1 report (Be23)
Loss of directional control during attempted go-around 1 report (Be23)
Landing gear mishaps 4 reports
Gear collapse during landing 1 report (Be76)
Landing gear mechanical malfunction 1 report (Be24)
Gear up landing 1 report (Be24)
Gear collapse during takeoff 1 report (Be76)
Impact on takeoff 1 report
Engine failure during/immediately after takeoff 1 report (Be24)
MISCELLANEOUS Models: 2 reports
Be45 (T-34) Mentor 1 report
Be60 Duke 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 1 report
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 1 report
Operation at night: 0 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 0 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 1 report
Aircraft “destroyed”: 0 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 0 reports
OTHER EVENTS 2 reports
Gear up landing 1 report (Be60)
Asymmetric gear extension/inflight system failure 1 report (Be60)
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