Piston Beechcraft Accidents 11/14/2024 through 11/20/2024
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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From unofficial sources
10/13 1513 local time: The Aviation Safety Network reports:
A [Be58] was on a training flight [from Kohnan Japan] when the right engine suffered uncontained failure just after takeoff. The aircraft made an emergency landing abck [sic] to Kohnan five minutes later. Leaked oil spread over the runway. There were no injuries among three occupants. The runway was closed all the day after the incident.
Damage is reported to be “substantial.” JA60AZ (TH-2522) is a G58 Baron.
(“Catastrophic engine failure immediately after takeoff”; “Substantial damage”; “Dual instruction”)
New reports this week
11/15 2100Z (1400 local Friday afternoon): A Be33 “crashed under unknown circumstances in a field” near Nunn, Colorado. The solo pilot was killed and the airplane was “destroyed.” N285BW (CD-400) was a 1961 B33.
(“Crash/unknown phase of flight”; “Fatal”; “Airplane destroyed”—The Aviation Safety Network tells us:
[The] wreckage was located in farmers property. No details yet on cause of crash or when crash officially occurred. Owner of aircraft was a fatality.)
11/16 1720Z (1220 local Saturday afternoon): A Be35 landed gear up at Collegedale, Tennessee. The solo pilot was unhurt and airplane damage is “unknown.” N6019F (D-7901) is a 1965 S35.
(“Gear up landing”)
11/18 1721Z (1221 local Monday afternoon): The pilot and one passenger in a Be36 suffered “serious” injuries, and a third occupant has “unknown” injuries, as the result of a “departure stall” that occurred during an attempted go-around at Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The airplane collided with an unoccupied Cessna 310 parked on the ramp. The Bonanza has “unknown” damage. N8152R (E-2778) is a 1993 A36.
(“Loss of control in flight during a go-around”; “Serious injuries”; “Substantial damage”—ASN tells us the extent of damage and also that the third person aboard the A36 was not injured.)
New NTSB reports this week
10/16 Baron 58 gear up landing at Shreveport, Louisiana. From the NTSB Final Report:
The pilot reported that the flight was routine until landing, when for some reason he neglected to lower the landing gear. The airplane landed on the runway wheels up and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He added that minimizing distractions and complacency might have prevented the accident.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s inadvertent failure to lower the landing gear before touching down.
(Change “Gear collapse during landing” to “Gear up landing” and add “Substantial damage.”
2024 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2024
Total reported: 131 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 58 reports
Operation in IMC: 3 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 72 reports
Operation at night: 9 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 2 reports
Fatal accidents: 18 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 26 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 23 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 108 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be35 Bonanza 30 reports
Be55 Baron 24 reports
Be36 Bonanza 24 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 18 reports
Be58 Baron 13 reports
Be95 Travel Air 2 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 48 reports
Operation in IMC: 4 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 55 reports
Operation at night: 7 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 1 report
Fatal accidents: 17 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 18 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 21 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 19 reports
Loss of Control in Flight (LOC-I) 7 reports
Loss of control in flight 2 reports (both Be55s)
Inflight breakup 2 reports (Be35; Be58)
Stall/spin/Loss of control in flight/dual instruction 1 report (Be55)
Loss of control in flight/trim issue 1 report (Be58)
Loss of control in flight during a go-around 1 report (Be36)
Impact during takeoff 3 reports
Takeoff/unknown 1 report (Be36)
Takeoff/unknown/attempt to return to runway 1 report (Be36)
Loss of directional control during takeoff 1 report (Be33)
Impact during landing 2 reports
Collision with obstacle during landing 1 report (Be55)
Landed short/Collided with vehicle on ground 1 report (Be55)
Engine failure 2 reports
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure immediately after takeoff/ attempt to return to runway 1 report (Be36)
Controlled Flight into Terrain 2 reports
Controlled Flight into Terrain/Probable VFR flight into IMC 1 report (Be35)
Controlled Flight into Terrain/Descended level into terrain/Night takeoff 1 report (Be55)
Inflight fire
Fire in flight during go-around 1 report (Be35)
Crash/unknown
Crash/unknown phase of flight 1 report (Be33)
OTHER EVENTS 90 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 46 reports
Gear up landing 21 reports (eight Be35s; two Be33s; five Be36s; three Be55s; three Be58s)
Gear collapse during landing 13 reports (four Be33s; Be35; Be36; six Be55s; Be95)
Gear up landing after electrical failure 2 reports (Be33; Be36)
Gear collapse/partial gear extension/electrical failure in flight 1 report (Be55)
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)
Inadvertent gear retraction during takeoff 1 report (Be36)
Gear collapse during takeoff 1 report (Be58)
Engine failure 14 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 immediately after takeoff 1 report (Be58)
Catastrophic engine failure in flight 1 report (Be55)
Partial power loss immediately after takeoff 1 report (Be36)
Engine failure in the pattern/short final/landed on highway 1 report (Be35)
Impact during landing 14 reports
Loss of directional control during landing 4 reports (Be33; two Be35s; Be55)
Hard landing 4 reports (two Be35s; Be55; Be58)
Struck object/animal during landing 2 reports (Be36; Be95)
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)
Landed long 1 report (Be58)
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)
Taxiway excursion at night 2 reports (Be35; Be36)
Severe turbulence/hail encounter 1 report (Be58)
Cowling came off in flight 1 report (Be36)
Taxi into obstacle/aircraft 1 report (Be33)
Struck by taxiing aircraft 1 report (Be35)
Struck by vehicle on the ground 1 report (Be55)
Windshield separation during pressurized flight 1 report (Be58)
Precautionary landing/fuel cap open 1 report (Be36)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 14 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 6 reports
Be24 Sierra 4 reports
Be76 Duchess 3 reports
Be19 Sport 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 6 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 8 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 13 reports
Landing gear mishaps 6 reports
Gear up landing 2 reports (Be24; Be76)
Gear collapse during landing 2 reports (Be24; Be76)
Landing gear mechanical malfunction 1 report (Be24)
Gear collapse during takeoff 1 report (Be76)
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)
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: 11 reports
Be60 Duke 4 reports
Be45 (T-34) Mentor 3 reports
Be17 Staggerwing 2 reports
Be18 Twin Beech 1 report
Be50 Twin Bonanza 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 6 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 5 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 1 report
Loss of control while attempting a single-engine landing 1 report (Be60)
OTHER EVENTS 10 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)
Gear collapse during landing 1 report (Be50)
Loss of directional control during landing/tailwheel 1 report (Be18)
Precautionary landing/engine issues 1 report (Be17)
Bird strike 1 report (Be60)
Recognize an N-number? 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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