Piston Beechcraft Accidents 4/9/2024 through 4/18/2024
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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New reports this week
4/10 0035Z (1735 local Tuesday afternoon): A Be36 landed gear up at Corona, California. The two aboard were unhurt and airplane damage is “minor.” N6679X (E-2041) is a 1982 A36.
(“Gear up landing”)
4/10 2330Z (1830 local Wednesday evening): A Be35’s pilot was “conducting touch and goes” when the Bonanza “touched down and [its] landing gear was inadvertently retracted” at Plainview, Texas. Neither pilot nor passenger was hurt, and airplane damage is “unknown.” N804R (D-6030) is a 1958 K35.
(“Inadvertent gear retraction on the ground/touch and go”)
4/13 2020Z (1620 local Saturday afternoon): A Be76 was “on [its] takeoff roll” when its “nose gear collapsed,” at Zephyrhills, Florida. The solo pilot was not hurt and damage to the Duchess was “minor.” N17AT (ME-51) is a 1978 Duchess.
(“Gear collapse during takeoff”)
4/15 1630Z (1230 local Monday afternoon): A Be35 landed gear up at Statesville, North Carolina, resulting in no injury to the solo pilot and “unknown” airplane damage. N4312D (D-4725) is a 1956 G35.
(“Gear up landing”)
4/17 1530Z (1030 local Wednesday morning): A Be35 “landed and post-flight inspection revealed a prop strike and damage to [the] underside of both wings,” at Stillwater, Oklahoma. All four aboard the Bonanza were unhurt; the extent of damage is as yet “unknown.” N426B (D-1647) is a 1949 A35.
(“Propeller strike/damage to both wings during landing”—this might have been a loss of directional control, or a gear up landing the pilot flew out of, or something else).
New NTSB reports this week
There are no newly posted piston Beech NTSB reports this week.
2024 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2024
Total reported: 41 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 16 reports
Operation in IMC: 1 report
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 24 reports
Operation at night: 6 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 3 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 10 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 4 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 33 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be35 Bonanza 13 reports
Be55 Baron 8 reports
Be36 Bonanza 6 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 4 reports
Be58 Baron 3 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 12 reports
Operation in IMC: 1 report
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 18 reports
Operation at night: 5 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 4 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 6 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 3 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 27 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 16 reports
Gear collapse during landing 5 reports (two Be33s; Be35; two Be55s)
Gear up landing 4 reports (Be23/24, two Be35s; Be36)
Inadvertent gear retraction during landing 1 report (Be58)
Inadvertent gear retraction during taxi 1 report (Be35)
Wheel separation during landing 1 report (Be36)
Gear collapse during landing/Post-crash fire 1 report (Be36)
Inadvertent gear retraction on the ground/touch and go 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure 4 reports
Engine failure in flight 2 reports (both Be35s)
Engine failure during takeoff/overran runaway 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure/oil pressure loss in flight/off-airport landing 1 report (Be36)
Impact during landing 3 reports
Runway overrun/door open after liftoff/attempted to land on remaining runway/nose gear collapse 1 report (Be33)
Loss of directional control during landing 1 report (Be35)
Propeller strike/damage to both wings during landing 1 report (Be35)
Impact during takeoff 2 reports
Runway overrun/aborted takeoff 1 report (Be58)
Loss of directional control during takeoff/crosswinds 1 report (Be35)
Miscellaneous
Severe turbulence/hail encounter 1 report (Be58)
Bird strike 1 report (Be36)
Taxiway excursion at night 1 report (Be36)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 9 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 4 reports
Be24 Sierra 3 reports
Be76 Duchess 2 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 5 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 4 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 9 reports
Impact on landing 4 reports
Loss of directional control during landing/runway excursion 2 reports (Be23; Be23-24)
Hard landing/nose gear collapse/destroyed by fire 1 report (Be23)
Loss of directional control during attempted go-around 1 report (Be23)
Landing gear mishaps 4 reports
Gear collapse during landing 1 report (Be76)
Landing gear mechanical malfunction 1 report (Be24)
Gear up landing 1 report (Be24)
Gear collapse during takeoff 1 report (Be76)
MISCELLANEOUS Models: 2 reports
Be45 (T-34) Mentor 1 report
Be60 Duke 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 1 report
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 1 report
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 report
Aircraft “destroyed”: 0 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 0 reports
OTHER EVENTS 2 reports
Gear up landing 1 report (Be60)
Asymmetric gear extension/inflight system failure 1 report (Be60)
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