Piston Beechcraft Accidents 10/21/2023 through 10/31/2023
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
10/21 0101Z (1801 local Friday evening 10/20/23): Departing Covelo, California just before sunset, a Be36 “crashed in a field after takeoff” and suffered a “post-crash fire.” The two aboard died and the airplane incurred “substantial” damage. N8248K (E-2678) was a 1991 A36.
(“Takeoff/unknown”; “Fatal”; “Airplane destroyed”—Industry sources confirm the airplane was “written off,” i.e., destroyed. A reader tells me the pilot and his wife had landed for fuel and were waiting for fog to clear when they decided to depart while the fog remained. This is echoed in a news report. I’ll update the environmental conditions record once more official word is known.)
10/24 1805Z (1305 local Tuesday afternoon): A Be35 “crashed on landing and [its] nose gear collapsed,” at Tea, South Dakota. There were no injuries and airplane damage is “unknown”. N4268D (D-4494) is a 1956 G35, reported on the FAA website as having recently been sold.
(“Landing/unknown”—at least for now.)
New NTSB reports this week
9/29 A36 landing accident that killed an airport worker on the ground at Broken Bow, Oklahoma. From the NTSB:
According to initial reports, a grounds worker was mowing the grass along the west side of the runway 17 at 90F [Broken Bow airport] and was travelling toward the south. The airplane landed on runway 17 and was rolling out when the right wing struck the grounds worker, resulting in fatal injuries. At the time of the accident there was also a work crew bailing hay about 1,000 ft. south of the grounds worker that was injured and on the opposite side of the runway. There were no Notices to Air Missions (NOTAM) active for the mowing or hay bailing operations being conducted at the airport.
2023 SUMMARY: Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2023:
Total reported: 126 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 71 reports
Operation in IMC: 2 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 54 reports
Operation at night: 6 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 6 reports
Fatal accidents: 11 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 26 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 18 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 107 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be35 Bonanza 43 reports
Be36 Bonanza 24 reports
Be55 Baron 13 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 12 reports
Be58 Baron 11 reports
Be95 Travel Air 5 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 56 reports
Operation in IMC: 2 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 50 reports
Operation at night: 5 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 4 reports
Fatal accidents: 11 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 19 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 18 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE (all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 15 reports
Engine failure in flight 5 reports
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be35)
Catastrophic engine failure in flight 1 report (Be36)
Fuel exhaustion 1 report (Be33)
Fuel starvation on final approach 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure on approach/landing 1 report (Be35)
Loss of control 4 reports
Loss of control in flight 1 report (Be35)
Loss of control in flight/vertical impact 1 report (Be36)
Loss of control on final approach/landing 1 report (Be36)
Loss of control during initial climb 1 report (Be35)
Miscellaneous 6 reports
Takeoff/unknown 2 reports (Be36; Be58)
Controlled flight into terrain 1 report (Be35)
Pilot struck by propeller/exited airplane with engine running 1 report (Be33)
Struck airport employee near the runway during landing 1 report (Be36)
Cruise/unknown 1 report (Be36)
OTHER EVENTS 92 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 46 reports
Gear collapse during landing 20 reports (two Be33s; nine Be35s; four Be36s; three Be55s; two Be58s)
Gear up landing 19 reports (Be33; eight Be35s; three Be36s; two Be55s; three Be58s; two Be95s)
Gear collapse during takeoff 1 report (Be35)
Gear collapse/mechanical gear failure 1 report (Be36)
Landed with gear partially extended 1 report (Be35)
Gear collapse on landing/electrical failure in flight 1 report (Be33)
Gear up landing following electrical failure 1 report (Be35)
Inadvertent gear retraction during a touch and go 1 report (Be36)
Pilot inadvertently retracted gear during landing roll 1 report (Be35)
Electrical fire in flight/gear collapse during landing 1 report (Be58)
Engine Failure 23 reports
Engine failure in flight 13 reports (six Be35s; six Be36s; Be55)
Catastrophic engine failure in flight 3 reports (Be33; Be35; Be58)
Engine failure during approach/landing 2 reports (both Be35)
Fuel starvation 2 reports (both Be33s)
Engine failure during/shortly after takeoff 1 report (Be33)
Engine failure during attempted go-around 1 report (Be35)
Catastrophic oil loss: failure of air/oil separator 1 report (Be35)
Precautionary landing in a field/low fuel 1 report (Be95)
Propeller damage in flight 1 report (Be55)
Miscellaneous 12 reports
Bird strike 4 reports (Be35; Be36; two Be55s)
Ground collision during ‘formation’ taxi 2 reports (Be36 and Be35)
Electrical fire in flight 1 report (Be33)
Cockpit fire in flight/off-airport landing 1 report (Be36)
Turbulence encounter en route 1 report (Be58)
Aborted takeoff/runway overrun 1 report (Be55)
Landed long 1 report (Be58)
Blown tire on landing 1 report (Be35)
Loss of control during new autopilot testing 1 report (Be35)
Taxiway excursion/taxi into obstructions 1 report (Be58)
Loss of directional control during takeoff 1 report (Be95)
Impact During Landing 7 reports
Loss of directional control during landing 3 reports (Be33; Be35; Be55)
Struck object/animal during landing 1 report (Be95)
Landed long/runway overrun 1 report (Be55)
Loss of control during landing/strong surface winds 1 report (Be35)
Landing/unknown 1 report (Be35)
Unknown
Crash/unknown 1 report (Be55)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 16 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 11 reports
Be19 Sport 1 report
Be24 Sierra 2 reports
Be76 Duchess 1 report
Be77 Skipper 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 13 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 3 reports
Operation at night: 1 report
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 2 reports
Fatal accidents: 0 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 6 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 0 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE (all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 2 reports
Collision with obstacle during initial climb 1 report (Be23)
Takeoff/unknown 1 report (Be23)
OTHER EVENTS 14 reports
Engine failure 6 reports
Engine failure immediately after takeoff 2 reports (Be19; Be77)
Engine failure in flight 2 reports (Be23, Be24)
Engine failure during landing 1 report (Be23)
Engine failure during go-around 1 report (Be23)
Loss of directional control during landing 2 reports (both Be23)
Gear collapse during touch and go 1 report (Be76)
Porpoised on landing/propeller strike/gear collapse 1 report (Be23)
Struck by another aircraft while parked and unoccupied 1 report (Be23)
Wing fire during fueling 1 report (Be23)
Blown tire on landing 1 report (Be24)
Hard landing 1 report (Be23)
MISCELLANEOUS Models: 4 reports
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: 1 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 4 reports
Landed long/runway overrun 2 reports (both Be60s)
Gear collapse during landing 1 report (Be45)
Struck object/animal during landing 1 report (Be50)
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