Piston Beechcraft Accidents April 16 through April 29, 2026
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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New Reports this Week
4/22 1434Z (0934 local Wednesday morning): During an instructional flight at Olive Branch, Mississippi, a Be76 “landed and [its] gear collapsed.” Neither the student nor the instructor was hurt, and damage to the Duchess is “unknown.” N60405 (ME-173) is a 1979 Model 76.
(“Gear collapse during landing”; “Dual instruction”)
4/23 2255Z (1755 local Thursday evening): The pilot of a Be35 was “taxiing for departure” when its “left wing made contact with the rear window of a Mazda that was parked on a taxiway,” at Houston, Texas. The solo pilot was not injured; airplane damage is “unknown.” N7274B (D-5643) is a 1958 J35.
(“Taxi into object/obstruction”)
4/24 1615Z (1215 local Friday afternoon): A Be33 landed gear up at Sanford, North Carolina. The two aboard were unhurt and airplane damage is “unknown.” N85WM (CE-943) is a 1981 F33A.
(“Gear up landing”)
4/25 1325Z (0825 local Saturday morning): Two aboard a Be33 were killed, and the Bonanza was “destroyed,” when it “crashed under unknown circumstances” immediately after takeoff at Minneapolis, Minnesota. N8032X (CE-1551) was a 1991 F33A.
(“Takeoff/unknown”; “Fatal”; “Airplane destroyed”—the Bonanza was reportedly less than 200 feet in the air when it entered a steep descent to the left. The Aviation Safety Network adds:
A Beechcraft F33A Bonanza, N8032X, crashed shortly shortly after takeoff from runway 32 at Crystal Airport (MIC/KMIC), Crystal, Minnesota. The two occupants perished and the aircraft was destroyed by a post impact fire.
ADS-B data shows that the airplane entered a left turn immediately after takeoff and crashed in the Southbrook Park. ATC recording shows that the pilot made a mumbled transmission and was cleared to land on any runway after takeoff.
Weather conditions at the time included: 0 winds, 10 miles visibility, a broken cloud layer at 11,000ft AGL, temperature 13°C, dewpoint -2°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.01 inches of mercury.
Rather than a disorientation-related loss of control, unlikely in day visual conditions anyway, the “mumbled transmission” suggests some event prompting the pilot to call Air Traffic Control much sooner than he/she would under more normal circumstances. Whether that event was engine or instrumentation related, a bird strike, a cabin door or window opening at liftoff or some other event is unknown).
NTSB Preliminary Reports
3/22 A36 fatal partial power loss in cruise flight/loss of turbocharger at Olympic Valley, California. From the NTSB’s preliminary report:
…the airplane departed Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), Monterey, California, at 1411 and was destined for the Truckee-Tahoe Airport (TRK), Truckee, California. When the airplane was about 12 miles southwest of the accident site, the pilot contacted the TRK air traffic control tower local controller (LC) that he was inbound for landing. The pilot subsequently reported a turbocharger problem, and he didn’t think he would make it to the airport. Recorded ADS-B data ended at an altitude of about 7,382 ft, about 13 miles southwest of TRK and no further radio transmissions were heard from the pilot.
An Apple iPhone crash detection alert was received by local law enforcement. The accident site was subsequently located by a helicopter crew in the Granite Chief Wilderness area along the shoreline of a lake about 1-1/2 miles northeast of the last recorded ADS-B data point.
The airplane came to rest in a nose down attitude partially submerged near the shore in a lake at an altitude of 7,500 ft mean sea level (msl) on a magnetic heading of 225°. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was the top of a pine tree about 150 ft southwest of the main wreckage. About 75 ft from the FIPC was the right wing, which had struck a tree near the base and separated from the airplane. There was a postcrash fire centralized at the right wing and tree. All major structural components of the airplane were located at the accident site.
Change “Crash/unknown” to “Partial power loss in cruise/turbocharger failure” and “Weather not reported” to “VMC.”
4/11 Baron 58 gear up landing at Stevensville, Maryland. Change Weather not reported” to “VMC.”
2026 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2026
Total reported: 39 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 32 reports
By Model
Be35 Bonanza 11 reports
Be36 Bonanza 8 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 7 reports
Be58 Baron 6 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 21 reports
Operation in IMC: 2 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 9 reports
Operation at night: 1 report
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 6 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 7 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 5 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 6 reports
Loss of control in flight (LOC-I) 3 reports
Loss of control in IMC 1 report (Be36)
Loss of control during an instrument approach in IMC 1 report (Be36)
Loss of control in flight/multiengine instruction 1 report (Be58)
Engine failure 2 reports
Catastrophic engine failure in flight 1 report (Be36)
Partial power loss in cruise/turbocharger failure 1 report (Be36)
Impact during/immediately after takeoff
Takeoff/unknown 1 report (Be33)
OTHER EVENTS 26 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 13 reports
Gear up landing 7 reports (two Be33s; three Be35s; two Be58s)
Gear collapse during landing 5 reports (Be33; Be35; two Be36s; Be58)
Gear collapse during landing/electrical failure in flight 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure 6 reports
Engine failure in flight 4 reports (three Be33s; Be36)
Engine failure immediately after takeoff 1 report (Be35)
Propeller separation in flight 1 report (Be58)
Impact during landing 4 reports
Loss of directional control during landing 2 reports (Be35; Be36)
Runway overrun 1 report (Be58)
Collision with an airplane that pulled on onto runway 1 report (Be35)
Impact during takeoff 2 reports
Stall immediately after takeoff 1 report (Be35)
Takeoff/unknown 1 report (Be35)
Other
Taxi into object/obstruction 1 report (Be35)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 6 reports
Skipper, Musketeer, Sundowner, Sierra, Duchess
By Model
Be76 Duchess 3 reports
Be19 Sport 1 report
Be23 Musketeer, Sundowner 1 report
Be24 Sierra 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 4 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 2 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”: 0 reports
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 0 reports
OTHER EVENTS 6 reports
Impact during landing 3 reports
Loss of directional control during landing 1 report (Be23)
Loss of directional control during landing/Simulated single-engine landing 1 report (Be76)
Hard landing 1 report (Be19)
Landing gear related mishaps 2 reports
Gear up landing 1 reports (Be76)
Gear collapse during landing 1 report (Be76)
Engine failure 1 report
Engine failure in flight/attempted single-engine landing 1 report (Be76)
MISCELLANEOUS Models: 1 report
Staggerwing, Twin Beech, Twin Bonanza, Duke, Queen Air
By Model
Be60 Duke 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 1 report
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 0 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: 0 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 0 reports
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 0 reports
OTHER EVENTS 1 report
Impact during landing 1 report
Collision with wires during landing (Be60)
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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.