Piston Beechcraft Accidents 2/22/2024 through 3/6/2024
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.
©2024 Mastery Flight Training, Inc. All Rights Reserved
THE WEEKLY ACCIDENT UPDATE IS AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCT OF MASTERY FLIGHT TRAINING, INC.
From unofficial sources
1/19 1826Z (1326 local time): The occupant of a passing motor vehicle was killed when the pilot of a Be55 landed short during an attempted landing at Esquipulas, Guatemala. No one aboard the Baron was hurt and the airplane suffered “substantial” damage. TG-RIT (TC-1652) is a 1974 B55.
(“Landed short/Collided with vehicle on ground”; “Fatal”)
(March; Time and date not reported): The owner/pilot of a Be36 posted on Facebook that he collided with a buzzard during descent, and made an otherwise uneventful landing. Photos he posted show what is probably “minor” damage unless the forward spar was damaged. N48JH (E-297) is a 1971 A36.
(“Bird strike”)
New reports this week
3/2 2330Z (1530 local Saturday afternoon): The pilot of a Be58 “aborted takeoff and ended up in [the] overrun area,” at Ontario, Oregon. All four aboard the Baron were unhurt; airplane damage is “unknown”. N16PV (TH-2144) is a 2006 G58.
(“Runway overrun/aborted takeoff”—the lone runway at Ontario is 5000 feet long by 100 feet wide.)
New NTSB reports this week
2/1 fatal V35B fire in flight at Clearwater, Florida. Read the entire NTSB report. It is different from initial accounts of the accident.
(Change “Engine failure during go-around” to “Fire in flight during go-around “).
2/2 B23 loss of control during go-around at Blytheville, Arkansas. From the report:
The pilot reported that during landing the airplane bounced multiple times. During each successive bounce, the airplane gained more altitude to the point that the pilot was scared. He added full power to go around, the airplane turned left, and he was unable to maintain control. The airplane impacted a ditch off the side of the runway and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Change “Stall on final approach” to “Loss of control during attempted go-around” and add “Substantial damage”).
2/11 A35 gear up landing at Maricopa, Arizona.
The pilot reported that she had just performed a takeoff and planned to remain in the traffic pattern to conduct a landing. The pilot stated she put the landing gear switch in the down position when the airplane was midfield and lowered the flaps on the base turn. The pilot stated she did not look at the gear position indicator prior to landing. The airplane subsequently landed gear up.
(Add “Substantial damage”).
2024 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2024:
Total reported: 22 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 12 reports
Operation in IMC: 1 report
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 10 reports
Operation at night: 5 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 3 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 6 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 3 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 17 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be35 Bonanza 5 reports
Be55 Baron 5 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 2 reports
Be58 Baron 3 reports
Be36 Bonanza 2 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 7 reports
Operation in IMC: 1 report
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: 4 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 4 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 2 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 5 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)
Stall/spin/Loss of control in flight/Dual instruction 1 report (Be55)
Inflight fire
Fire in flight during go-around 1 report (Be35)
OTHER EVENTS 12 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 7 reports
Gear collapse during landing 3 reports (Be33; Be35; Be55)
Gear up landing 1 report (Be35)
Inadvertent gear retraction during landing 1 report (Be58)
Inadvertent gear retraction during taxi 1 report (Be35)
Wheel separation during landing 1 report (Be36)
Engine failure
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be35)
Impact during landing
Runway overrun/door open after liftoff/attempted to land on remaining runway/nose gear collapse 1 report (Be33)
Impact during takeoff
Runway overrun/aborted takeoff 1 report (Be58)
Miscellaneous
Severe turbulence/hail encounter 1 report (Be58)
Bird strike 1 report (Be36)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 5 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 3 reports
Be24 Sierra 1 report
Be76 Duchess 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 5 reports
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: 2 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 5 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)
Loss of directional control during attempted go-around 1 report (Be23)
Landing gear mishaps 2 reports
Gear collapse during landing 1 report (Be76)
Gear up landing 1 report (Be24)
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? 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.
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