Piston Beechcraft Accidents 12/29/2023 through 12/31/2023
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
12/27 0245Z (2045 local Monday night 12/26): “After being cleared for takeoff” at Houston, Texas, the pilot of a Be55 “requested to return to the ramp due to striking a runway light.” The solo pilot was unhurt and airplane damage is “unknown”. N440CK (TC-736) is a 1964 B55.
(“Collision with obstacle during taxi”; “Night”—the way this is phrased it sounds more like the pilot taxied into the light while entering the runway than a loss of directional control during the takeoff roll, although I could be wrong).
12/30 1655Z (1155 local Saturday noon): A Be36 landed gear up at Allentown, Pennsylvania. The pilot, alone in the Bonanza, was unhurt; airplane damage is “unknown”. N19V (E-1107) is a 1977 A36.
(“Gear up landing”)
12/30 2052Z (1352 local Saturday afternoon): A Be95 “landed and [its] right main gear collapsed,” during an instructional flight at Nampa, Idaho. The instructor and pilot receiving instruction report no injuries; airplane damage is “minor.” N1385Z (TD-486) is a 1961 B95A.
(“Gear collapse during landing”)
New NTSB reports this week
12/10 A36 fatal loss of oil pressure and engine failure in flight at Topock, Arizona. From the NTSB’s preliminary report:
…the pilot was flying from Sun Valley Airport (A20), Bullhead City, Arizona to pick up a passenger from Prescott Regional Airport – Ernest A. Love Field (PRC), Prescott, Arizona. About 14 minutes after takeoff the pilot reported to Air Traffic Control (ATC) that he had lost oil pressure. Radio and radar contact were lost shortly after the reported loss of oil pressure. The airplane subsequently impacted rocky desert terrain near an unimproved road. A post impact fire consumed the cockpit, right wing, and a portion of the fuselage…. A portion of the No. 4 cylinder piston connecting rod was found outside of the crankcase when the engine cowling was removed….
(Change “Cruise/unknown” to “Catastrophic engine failure in flight”)
2023 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2023:
Total reported: 151 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 85 reports
Operation in IMC: 3 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 63 reports
Operation at night: 10 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
128 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be35 Bonanza 43 reports
Be36 Bonanza 32 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 17 reports
Be55 Baron 15 reports
Be58 Baron 12 reports
Be95 Travel Air 8 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 65 reports
Operation in IMC: 2 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 62 reports
Operation at night: 9 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
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)
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)
Miscellaneous 7 reports
Takeoff/unknown 2 reports (Be36; Be58)
Cruise/unknown 1 report (Be36s)
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 110 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 54 reports
Gear collapse during landing 23 reports (three Be33s; nine Be35s; five Be36s; three Be55s; two Be58s)
Gear up landing 22 reports (two Be33s; eight Be35s; foive 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 26 reports
Engine failure in flight 13 reports (Be33; six Be35s; five Be36s; Be55)
Catastrophic engine failure in flight 4 reports (Be33; Be35; Be36; 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 19 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 (Be55)
Rudder oscillation/windshield separation 1 report (Be95)
Collision with obstacle during taxi 1 report (Be58)
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 1 report (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 3 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)
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