Piston Beechcraft Accidents 8/8/2024 through 8/14/2024
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
8/6 2215Z (1715 local Tuesday afternoon): A Be55 “landed hard” at Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Post-flight inspection revealed dents in the airframe and damage to [the] landing gear.” The two aboard escaped injury and airplane damage is “unknown.” N744T (TE-1096) is a 1977 E55.
(“Hard landing”; “Substantial damage”—the latter from the description in the FAA preliminary report).
8/7 2022Z (1622 local Wednesday afternoon): A Be23 “crashed short of [the] runway due to engine issues” at Jacksonville, Florida. The Beech’s left main gear collapsed in the impact. The two aboard were unhurt and the extent of airplane damage is “unknown.” N2367L (M-203) is a 1963 Musketeer.
(“Engine failure on final approach”)
8/11 2039Z (1639 local Sunday afternoon): A Be36 “crashed in crescent lake for unknown reasons,” at Lake Como, Florida. The two aboard the Bonanza survived unhurt and airplane damage is as yet not reported. N999FB (E-1495) is/was a 1979 A36.
(“Engine failure in flight”; and since the airplane sank in the lake I’ll venture “Airplane destroyed”—the reputable Aviation Safety Network attributes the crash to “a loss of engine power.” Flightaware shows the flight ended with over 6 ½ hours enroute along an indirect coast-hugging route; any time an airplane has been in the air that long fuel management will undoubtedly be a focus of the NTSB investigation, but we do not yet know anything for certain. Local news reports the 77-year-old pilot and his 34-year-old passenger were helped out of the airplane and to shore by local residents.)
New NTSB reports this week
7/22 double-fatality A36 engine failure immediately after liftoff at Islip, New York. From the NTSB preliminary report:
The pilot was departing from Long Island Mac Arthur Airport (ISP), Islip, New York, and taxied from the ramp via taxiways C to B to join runway 24 for an intersection takeoff at the 4,100 ft- remaining point of the 7,006 ft-long runway. Security video taken from a camera located at the airport terminal showed the airplane during the takeoff roll, liftoff, and initial climb, which all appeared normal. The landing gear retracted before the airplane disappeared out of the camera frame. Preliminary Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated that the takeoff roll was about 1,200 ft long prior to liftoff and that the groundspeed was about 82 kts during initial climb. Shortly after the landing gear were raised, the ground speed began to steadily decay to 62 kts before the airplane began a descending turn to the left…. Several witnesses stated that the takeoff appeared normal, but that as the airplane was climbing, they heard “sputtering” then a “loud pop.” The airplane rolled to the left and impacted the terrain just off the paved runway threshold at an elevation of 106 ft. The wreckage path was oriented on a heading of about 165°.
2024 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2024
Total reported: 89 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 36 reports
Operation in IMC: 1 report
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 53 reports
Operation at night: 6 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 1 report
Fatal accidents: 12 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 21 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 15 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 70 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be35 Bonanza 21 reports
Be55 Baron 17 reports
Be36 Bonanza 16 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 13 reports
Be58 Baron 6 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 29 reports
Operation in IMC: 1 report
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 39 reports
Operation at night: 5 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 11 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 13 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 13 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 12 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) 3 reports
Stall/spin/Loss of control in flight/Dual instruction 1 report (Be55)
Loss of control in flight 1 report (Be55)
Inflight breakup 1 report (Be35)
Inflight fire
Fire in flight during go-around 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure 2 reports
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure immediately after takeoff/ attempt to return to runway 1 report (Be36)
Impact during takeoff 2 reports
Takeoff/unknown/attempt to return to runway 1 report (Be36)
Collision with obstacle during takeoff 1 report (Be33)
Unknown
Crash/unknown 1 report (Be35)
OTHER EVENTS 59 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 29 reports
Gear up landing 12 reports (Be23/24, five Be35s; two Be36s; two Be55s; two Be58s)
Gear collapse during landing 9 reports (two Be33s; Be35; Be36; five Be55s)
Gear up landing after electrical failure 2 reports (Be33/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 13 reports
Engine failure in flight 5 reports (two Be33s; two Be35s; Be36)
Engine failure during takeoff/overran runaway 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure during takeoff/loss of directional control on runway 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure/oil pressure loss in flight/off-airport landing 1 report (Be36)
Engine failure in the traffic pattern 1 report (Be33)
Engine failure immediately after takeoff 1 report (Be36)
Catastrophic engine failure in flight 1 report (Be55)
Partial power loss immediately after takeoff 1 report (Be36)
Impact during landing 7 reports
Loss of directional control during landing 2 reports (Be33; Be35)
Runway overrun/door open after liftoff/attempted to land on remaining runway/nose gear collapse 1 report (Be33)
Propeller strike/damage to both wings during landing 1 report (Be35)
Loss of control during landing/airplane flipped upside down 1 report (Be55)
Porpoised on landing 1 report (Be33)
Hard landing 1 report (Be55)
Impact during takeoff 4 reports
Runway overrun/aborted takeoff 1 report (Be58)
Loss of directional control during takeoff/crosswinds 1 report (Be35)
Collision with terrain on takeoff/wind shear 1 report (Be36)
Takeoff/unknown 1 report (Be35)
Miscellaneous
Bird strike 2 reports (Be33; Be36)
Severe turbulence/hail encounter 1 report (Be58)
Taxiway excursion at night 1 report (Be36)
Cowling came off in flight 1 report (Be36)
Taxi into obstacle/aircraft 1 report (Be33)
Windshield separation during pressurized flight 1 report (Be58)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 13 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 6 reports
Be24 Sierra 4 reports
Be76 Duchess 2 reports
Be19 Sport 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 6 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 7 reports
Operation at night: 0 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 1 report
Fatal accidents: 0 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 5 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 1 report
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 1 report
Engine failure immediately after takeoff 1 report (Be23)
OTHER EVENTS 12 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)
Engine failure 2 reports
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be19)
Engine failure on final approach 1 report (Be23)
Impact on takeoff 1 report
Engine failure during/immediately after takeoff 1 report (Be24)
MISCELLANEOUS Models: 8 reports
Be45 (T-34) Mentor 3 reports
Be60 Duke 3 reports
Be17 Staggerwing 1 report
Be18 Twin Beech 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 4 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: 2 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 2 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 2 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 2 reports
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be60)
OTHER EVENTS 7 reports
Gear up landing 4 reports (two Be45s; two Be60s)
Asymmetric gear extension/inflight system failure 1 report (Be60)
Landed with gear partly extended 1 report (Be17)
Loss of directional control during landing/tailwheel 1 report (Be18)
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