Piston Beechcraft Accidents 12/20/2023 through 12/28/2023
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
12/21 2218Z (1718 local Thursday evening): A Be36 “crashed under unknown circumstances in a parking lot” at Buford, Georgia, and suffered a “post-crash fire.” The solo pilot was killed and the Bonanza “destroyed”. N23VS (E-3855) was a 2008 G36).
(“Crash/unknown”; “Fatal: “Airplane destroyed”; Night”—the Aviation Safety Network adds:
ADS-B data indicates that the airplane was cruising at 2800 feet after departure from KPDK. About 12 min into the flight, the airplane began descending, while simultaneously losing ground speed. The airplane had an average rate of decent over -1,000 fpm at the last recorded return.
The last indicated groundspeeds and rate of descent are consistent with an engine-out glide.)
New NTSB reports this week
12/13 A36 gear collapse following alternator failure in flight, at Los Angeles, California.
(Change “Gear collapse during landing” to “Gear collapse on landing/electrical failure in flight”—this is a known issue in Beech airplanes [and likely any all-electric landing gear system]. I’ve stressed for decades the need to follow up gear extension on less-than-full electrical system voltage, most recently in the July 2023 edition of ABS Magazine. Even with a fully charged battery, the voltage is lower than normal and the gear motor spins less rapidly. The limit switches that stop the motor are engaged at the same point in the gear geometry, but because the gear has less inertia it may not continue all the way over center into the locked position. It might even get far enough to engage the “down and locked” light switches but still collapse under the drag of touching down. It’s not mentioned in any of the Beech handbooks, but this incident yet again shows that best practice is, after gear extension on less than 28 or 14 volts as appropriate to the Beechcraft, that the pilot then follows the Manual Landing Gear Extension checklist to confirm the gear is indeed fully down. If this tip wasn’t included in your transition training then you might want to check out the American Bonanza Society’s online systems and procedures course to see what else you missed.)
2023 SUMMARY:
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2023:
Total reported: 148 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 84 reports
Operation in IMC: 3 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 61 reports
Operation at night: 9 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 7 reports
Fatal accidents: 17 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 29 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 25 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 123 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be35 Bonanza 43 reports
Be36 Bonanza 31 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 17 reports
Be55 Baron 14 reports
Be58 Baron 12 reports
Be95 Travel Air 7 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 64 reports
Operation in IMC: 2 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 60 reports
Operation at night: 8 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 5 reports
Fatal accidents: 15 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 22 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 22 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 19 reports
Engine failure in flight 5 reports
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be35)
Catastrophic engine failure in flight 1 report (Be36)
Fuel exhaustion 1 report (Be33)
Fuel starvation on final approach 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure on approach/landing 1 report (Be35)
Loss of control 7 reports
Loss of control during initial climb 2 reports (Be35; Be36)
Loss of control in flight 2 reports (Be33; Be35)
Loss of control in flight/vertical impact 1 report (Be36)
Loss of control on final approach/landing 1 report (Be36)
Loss of control in flight/multiengine instruction 1 report (Be95)
Miscellaneous 7 reports
Cruise/unknown 2 reports (two Be36s)
Takeoff/unknown 2 reports (Be36; Be58)
Controlled flight into terrain 1 report (Be35)
Pilot struck by propeller/exited airplane with engine running 1 report (Be33)
Struck airport employee near the runway during landing 1 report (Be36)
OTHER EVENTS 103 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 50 reports
Gear collapse during landing 22 reports (three Be33s; nine Be35s; five Be36s; three Be55s; two Be58s)
Gear up landing 21 reports (two Be33s; eight Be35s; four Be36s; two Be55s; three Be58s; two Be95s)
Gear collapse on landing/electrical failure in flight 2 reports (Be33; Be36)
Gear collapse during takeoff 1 report (Be35)
Gear collapse/mechanical gear failure 1 report (Be36)
Landed with gear partially extended 1 report (Be35)
Gear up landing following electrical failure 1 report (Be35)
Inadvertent gear retraction during a touch and go 1 report (Be36)
Pilot inadvertently retracted gear during landing roll 1 report (Be35)
Electrical fire in flight/gear collapse during landing 1 report (Be58)
Engine Failure 24 reports
Engine failure in flight 14 reports (Be33; six Be35s; six Be36s; Be55)
Catastrophic engine failure in flight 3 reports (Be33; Be35; Be58)
Engine failure during approach/landing 2 reports (both Be35)
Fuel starvation 2 reports (both Be33s)
Engine failure during/shortly after takeoff 1 report (Be33)
Engine failure during attempted go-around 1 report (Be35)
Catastrophic oil loss: failure of air/oil separator 1 report (Be35)
Precautionary landing in a field/low fuel 1 report (Be95)
Propeller damage in flight 1 report (Be55)
Miscellaneous 12 reports
Bird strike 4 reports (Be35; Be36; two Be55s)
Ground collision during ‘formation’ taxi 2 reports (Be36 and Be35)
Loss of directional control during takeoff 2 reports (Be36; Be95)
Electrical fire in flight 1 report (Be33)
Cockpit fire in flight/off-airport landing 1 report (Be36)
Turbulence encounter en route 1 report (Be58)
Aborted takeoff/runway overrun 1 report (Be55)
Landed long 1 report (Be58)
Blown tire on landing 1 report (Be35)
Loss of control during new autopilot testing 1 report (Be35)
Taxiway excursion/taxi into obstructions 1 report (Be58)
Rudder oscillation/windshield separation 1 report (Be95)
Took off with tow bar attached 1 report (Be55)
Impact During Landing 10 reports
Loss of directional control during landing 3 reports (Be33; Be35; Be55)
Struck object/animal during landing 1 report (Be95)
Landed long/runway overrun 1 report (Be55)
Loss of control during landing/strong surface winds 1 report (Be35)
Landed short 1 report (Be33)
Hard landing 1 report (Be36)
Collision with obstacles/terrain during go-around 1 report (Be58)
Landing/unknown 1 report (Be35)
Unknown
Crash/unknown 2 reports (Be36; Be55)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 21 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 14 reports
Be24 Sierra 3 reports
Be19 Sport 2 reports
Be76 Duchess 1 report
Be77 Skipper 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 17 reports
Operation in IMC: 1 report
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 3 reports
Operation at night: 1 report
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 2 reports
Fatal accidents: 2 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 4 reports
Collision with obstacle during initial climb 1 report (Be23)
Loss of directional control during go-around 1 report (Be23)
Controlled Flight into Terrain/Descent Below Minimums during IFR approach 1 report (Be23)
Engine failure in initial climb 1 report (Be23)
OTHER EVENTS 17 reports
Engine failure 8 reports
Engine failure immediately after takeoff 2 reports (Be19; Be77)
Engine failure in flight 3 reports (Be19; Be23; Be24)
Engine failure during landing 1 report (Be23)
Engine failure during go-around 1 report (Be23)
Engine failure during departure/touch and go 1 report (Be24)
Loss of directional control during landing 2 reports (both Be23)
Gear collapse during touch and go 1 report (Be76)
Porpoised on landing/propeller strike/gear collapse 1 report (Be23)
Struck by another aircraft while parked and unoccupied 1 report (Be23)
Wing fire during fueling 1 report (Be23)
Blown tire on landing 1 report (Be24)
Hard landing 1 report (Be23)
Control malfunction in flight 1 report (Be23)
MISCELLANEOUS Models: 5 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 3 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: 1 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 5 reports
Landed long/runway overrun 2 reports (both Be60s)
Gear collapse during landing 2 reports (Be17; Be45)
Struck object/animal during landing 1 report (Be50)
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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