Piston Beechcraft Accidents 1/25/2024 through 2/7/2024
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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From unofficial sources
1/19 1326 local time: A Be55 sustained “substantial” damage when it impacted a passing motor vehicle during a landing attempt on Runway 25 at Esquipulas, Guatemala. The driver of the vehicle sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from Guatemala City-La Aurora Airport at about 1258. TG-RIT (TC-1652) is a 1974 B55.
(“Collision with obstacle during landing”; “Fatal”)
New reports this week
1/26 0008Z (1808 local Friday evening): The pilot of a Be58 “diverted after encountering severe turbulence and hail,” near Lake Charles, Louisiana. “Post flight inspection revealed damage to engine cowlings, multiple fairings and leading edges.” The two aboard were unhurt and damage is “unknown”. N811CW (TH-1351) is a 1982 Baron 58.
(“Severe turbulence/hail encounter”; “Night”—the Baron was on an IFR flight from Abilene, Texas to Lake Charles. The flight path was direct until nearing destination, and then appears to have been deviating around thunderstorms before landing).
1/28 2215Z (1315 local Sunday afternoon): A Be45 “landed gear up and slid off the runway into the dirt,” at Palo Alto, California. The two aboard were unhurt and airplane damage is “minor”. N666 (G-264) is a A35 (T-34A Mentor).
(“Gear up landing”—unofficial reports are the pilot performed a go-around and on the next landing failed to extend the landing gear).
1/30 2136Z (1636 local Tuesday afternoon): A Be76 “landed and [its] nose gear collapsed,” at Sarasota, Florida. The two aboard weren’t injured and airplane damage is “minor.” N371AK (ME-157) is a 1979 Duchess.
(“Gear collapse during landing”)
2/1 1700Z (1200Z local Thursday noon): A Be23 “landed and ran off the runway ending up in a ditch” at Elizabethtown, North Carolina. The solo pilot was unhurt and airplane damage is “unknown”. N6015U (M-2135) is a 1979 C23 Sundowner.
(“Loss of directional control during landing/runway excursion”)
2/2 0027Z (1927 local Thursday evening): The pilot of a Be35 and two persons in a home died when the Bonanza crashed into a trailer park at Clearwater, Florida. The Bonanza was “destroyed.” N6659L (D-10279) was a 1979 V35B.
(“Engine failure during go-around”; “Fatal”; “Airplane destroyed”; “VMC”; “Night”—AVWeb reports:
…the pilot took off from Vero Beach Regional Airport (KVRB)…before reporting an engine failure and crashing into the Bayside Waters mobile home park just a few miles from St. Pete Clearwater International Airport (KPIE). The pilot and two others on the ground were killed in the accident.
Aviation Safety Network reported the ATC transcript shows the pilot was on approach and trying to align with Runway 34 at Clearwater Air Park (KCLW) before saying he want[ed] to change frequencies to activate the runway lights. He then cancel[ed] the IFR clearance. Moments later, the pilot return[ed] to the frequency and report[ed] he was “losing engine.” Following the crash, a structure fire engulfed four homes….)
2/2 1945Z (1445 local Friday afternoon): A Be23 “stalled on short final and crashed” at Blytheville, Arkansas. The solo pilot wasn’t hurt and airplane damage is “unknown”. N6148N (M-1225) is a 1969 B23 Musketeer.
(“Stall on final approach”)
2/6 0050Z (1850 local Monday 2/5): Taxiing after a night landing at Mankato, Minnesota, a Be35’s pilot “mistakenly pulled the gear lever and [the] nose gear collapsed.” The pilot, alone in the Bonanza, was not injured. Airplane damage is “minor.” N4627D (D-4785) is a 1956 G35.
(“Inadvertent gear retraction during taxi”; “Night”—the FlightAware track shows the pilot had made a single, eight-minute trip around the pattern before pulling up his landing gear).
New 2024 NTSB reports this week
1/14 triple-fatality B55 loss of control during instructional flight at Leyden, Massachusetts. This tragic crash spurred significant online commentary about the hazards and relative merit of performing the VMC Demonstration maneuver, especially with a rear-seat passenger moving the aircraft’s center of gravity rearward. All of that commentary remains valid, but as I suggested in the January 18th report the true cause is unknown and might be due to other factors. Now, the NTSB preliminary suggests the same…including this:
Airframe icing was observed on the leading edge of both wings and horizontal stabilizers, both engine nacelles, and the leading edge of the rudder. Ice was also observed on the front face of one of the left engine’s propeller blades, and on the nav antenna located on the vertical stabilizer.
I wrote in January that reports the airplane was climbing before loss of control, when the VMC Demonstration maneuver is entered in level flight. Icing conditions, ice on the airframe including on the face of one propeller blades—a sign it may have been feathered when the ice collected—suggest the loss of control might be the result of something other than the VMC Demonstration maneuver.
2024 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2024:
Total reported: 15 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 6 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 9 reports
Operation at night: 4 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 3 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 1 report
Aircraft “destroyed”: 3 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series:
10 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be35 Bonanza 3 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 2 reports
Be55 Baron 2 reports
Be58 Baron 2 reports
Be36 Bonanza 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 3 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 7 reports
Operation at night: 4 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 3 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 1 report
Aircraft “destroyed”: 2 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 3 reports
Loss of Control in Flight (LOC-I)
Stall/spin/Loss of control in flight/Dual instruction 1 report (Be55)
Engine failure
Engine failure during go-around 1 report (Be35)
Impact during landing
Collision with obstacle during landing 1 report (Be55)
OTHER EVENTS 7 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 5 reports
Gear collapse during landing 2 reports (Be33; Be35)
Inadvertent gear retraction during landing 1 report (Be58)
Inadvertent gear retraction during taxi 1 report (Be35)
Wheel separation during landing 1 report (Be36)
Impact during landing
Runway overrun/door open after liftoff/attempted to land on remaining runway/nose gear collapse 1 report (Be33)
Miscellaneous
Severe turbulence/hail encounter 1 report (Be58)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series:
4 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 3 reports
Be76 Duchess 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 2 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: 0 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 4 reports
Impact on landing 3 reports
Hard landing/nose gear collapse/destroyed by fire 1 report (Be23)
Loss of directional control during landing/runway excursion 1 report (Be23)
Stall on final approach 1 report (Be23)
Landing gear mishaps
Gear collapse during landing 1 report (Be76)
MISCELLANEOUS Models:
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
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 0 reports
OTHER EVENTS 1 report
Gear up landing 1 report (Be45)
Recognize an N-number? Please accept my sincere personal condolences if you or anyone you know was involved in a mishap. I welcome your comments, suggestions and criticisms.
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