Piston Beechcraft Accidents July 16 through July 30, 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
7/18 1748Z (1248 local Saturday afternoon): A Be33 landed gear up at Alton, Illinois. The two aboard were unhurt and airplane damage is “unknown.” N1470G (CD-465) is a 1962 B33.
(“Gear up landing”; “Substantial damage”—the latter added by the Aviation Safety Network)
7/18 2140Z (1740 local Saturday evening): A Be33 “landed and its left gear collapsed” at Destin, Florida. The aircraft “struck [its] left wing and veered off [the] runway into the grass.” The two aboard were unhurt and airplane damage is “unknown.” N1574S (CD-530) is a 1962 B33.
(“Gear collapse during landing”)
7/19 1500Z (1000 local Sunday morning): A Be76 on an “instructional” flight “landed with [its] gear retracted” at Burnet, Texas. The pilot and instructor were unhurt; airplane damage is “minor.” N3733G (ME-364) is a 1980 Duchess.
(“Gear up landing”—the Aviation Safety Network adds that the airplane “landed with nose gear retracted,” indicative of a mechanical failure of the nose gear extension system)
7/20 1630Z (1130 local Monday morning): A Be33 “landed on the runway with [its] gear retracted” at Janesville, Wisconsin. All three aboard were uninjured and airplane damage is “minor.” N933A (CE-1568) is a 1991 F33A.
(“Gear up landing”; “Substantial damage” as noted by the ASN)
7/24 2030Z (1530 local Friday afternoon): A Be35 departed Carroll, Iowa, when it “experienced [a] rough running engine.” The “pilot tried returning to the airport and landed in a field.” The solo pilot escaped injury and airplane damage is “unknown.” N3707Q (D-8368) is a 1966 V35.
(“Engine failure immediately after takeoff”—I’ve seen photos of this airplane in a corn field. It appears the pilot maintained control and landed with the landing gear retracted [arguably better for off-airport landings], resulting in the favorable outcome).
7/27 2305Z (1705 local Monday evening): A Be18’s pilot “declared an emergency due to an inflight fire.” He landed at Grand Junction, Colorado and “veered off the runway into the dirt.” All three aboard the C-45 escaped injury and airplane damage is “unknown.” N9370Z (52-10850) is a 1954 C-45H.
(“Inflight fire/Loss of Directional Control on the Runway”)
NTSB Preliminary Reports
There are several newly posted piston Beech NTSB preliminary reports for 2026, but I’m still catching up after Oshkosh so I’ll update the Update with these reports next week.
2026 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2026
Total reported: 77 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 65 reports
Bonanza, Debonair, Baron, Travel Air
By Model
Be35 Bonanza 21 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 16 reports
Be36 Bonanza 13 reports
Be58 Baron 10 reports
Be55 Baron 4 reports
Be95 Travel Air 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 38 reports
Operation in IMC: 2 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 23 reports
Operation at night: 3 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 1 report
Fatal accidents: 11 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 11 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 11 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 12 reports
Loss of control in flight (LOC-I) 4 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)
Loss of control in flight/attempted visual flight in areas of adverse weather at night 1 report (Be55)
Engine failure 3 reports
Catastrophic engine failure in flight 1 report (Be36)
Partial power loss in cruise/turbocharger failure 1 report (Be36)
Dual engine failure in flight 1 report (Be55)
Impact during visual approach and landing 2 reports
Approach/unknown 1 report (Be36)
Landing/unknown 1 report (Be58)
Impact during/immediately after takeoff 2 reports
Takeoff/unknown 2 reports (Be33; Be55)
Other
Crash/unknown 1 report (Be35)
OTHER EVENTS 52 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 27 reports
Gear up landing 13 reports (six Be33s; four Be35s; three Be58s)
Gear collapse during landing 10 reports (two Be33s; two Be35s; two Be36s; three Be58s; Be95)
Gear collapse during landing/electrical failure in flight 1 report (Be35)
Gear collapse during touch-and-go 1 report (Be33)
Intentional gear up landing/mechanical nose gear failure 1 report (Be36)
Nose gear detached during landing 1 report (Be36)
Engine failure 14 reports
Engine failure in flight 9 reports (five Be35s; three Be33s; Be36)
Engine failure immediately after takeoff 3 reports (two Be35s; Be36)
Propeller separation in flight 1 report (Be58)
Dual engine failure/multiengine airplane 1 report (Be55)
Impact during landing 5 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)
Loss of directional control during landing/blown tire 1 report (Be36)
Impact during takeoff 3 reports
Stall during/immediately after takeoff 2 reports (Be35, Be36)
Gear retraction prior to attaining a positive rate of climb/gear up landing 1 report (Be35)
Other
Taxi into object/obstruction 1 report (Be35)
Control failure in flight 1 report (Be33)
Crash/unknown 1 report (Be35)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 10 reports
Skipper, Musketeer, Sundowner, Sierra, Duchess
By Model
Be76 Duchess 4 reports
Be19 Sport 2 reports
Be23 Musketeer, Sundowner 2 reports
Be24 Sierra 2 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 8 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: 4 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 0 reports
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 0 reports
OTHER EVENTS 10 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 4 reports
Gear up landing 3 reports (Be24; two Be76s)
Landed with nose gear retracted 1 report (Be76)
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)
Right main gear failure/Corrosion/Loss of directional control during landing 1 report (Be19)
Engine failure 3 reports
Engine failure in flight/attempted single-engine landing 1 report (Be76)
Engine failure after takeoff/runway overrun on return 1 report (Be23)
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be19)
MISCELLANEOUS Models: 3 reports
Staggerwing, Twin Beech, Twin Bonanza, Duke, Queen Air, T-34
By Model
Be18 Twin Beech/C-45 Expeditor 1 report
Be60 Duke 1 report
Be65 Queen Air 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 1 report
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”: 0 reports
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 0 reports
OTHER EVENTS 3 reports
Impact during landing 2 reports
Collision with wires during landing 1 report (Be60)
Inflight fire/Loss of Directional Control on the Runway 1 report (Be18)
Landing gear related mishaps
Gear collapse during landing 1 report (Be65)
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