Piston Beechcraft Accidents April 10 – April 16, 2025
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
4/9 1607Z (1207 local Wednesday afternoon): Two aboard a Be36 suffered “minor” injuries, and the Bonanza “unknown” damage, when it “crashed under unknown circumstances” at Stafford, Virginia. N2Z (E-2514) is a 1989 A36.
(“Engine failure in flight/oil loss”; “Substantial damage” [from unofficial reports]—the Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network adds:
Preliminary information indicates the aircraft suffered engine oil issues during flight and struck trees during the emergency landing. Post-accident photos show oil covering the bottom portion of the fuselage near the tail.
News reports show the airplane came to a rest inverted and the fuselage above the pilots’ seats may be slightly crushed. For this to result in only “minor” injuries speaks well of the pilot’s skill at maintaining control through touchdown).
4/11 1735Z (1435 local Friday afternoon): A Be36 was departing Wapakoneta, Ohio, when it “crashed in a field due to engine issues.” The pilot escaped injury and the passenger had only “minor” injuries; the FAA reports “minor” airplane damage. N184AJ (E-3578) is a 2004 A36.
(“Engine failure shortly after takeoff/catastrophic failure”; “Substantial damage”—ASN adds:
Preliminary information indicates that the airplane departed runway 26 at KAXV and climbed to an altitude of 2000 ft when it experienced a loss of engine power. The pilot conducted a 180 turn and attempted to land back on runway 8, but ended up landing in a field roughly 1.6 miles from the approach end of runway 8.
I wrote more about this success story including a firsthand report from the pilot in this week’s FLYING LESSONS Weekly).
4/13 1830Z (1230 local Sunday afternoon): While enroute, a Be23 “landed in a field for unknown reasons” at Aiken, South Carolina. Both persons aboard were unhurt and airplane damage is “unknown.” N686PS (M-1686) is a C23 Sundowner.
(“Off-airport landing/reasons unknown”)
New NTSB reports this week
There are no newly posted piston Beech NTSB reports this week.
2025 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2025
Total reported: 37 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 21 reports
Operation in IMC: 3 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 14 reports
Operation at night: 4 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 3 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 10 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 5 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 32 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be36 Bonanza 16 reports
Be35 Bonanza 5 reports
Be58 Baron 4 reports
Be55 Baron 3 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 2 reports
Be95 Travel Air 2 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 16 reports
Operation in IMC: 3 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 13 reports
Operation at night: 3 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 3 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 8 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 5 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 3 reports
Engine failure
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure immediately after takeoff 1 report (Be36)
Impact during/immediately after takeoff
Loss of control/IFR departure 1 report (Be36)
OTHER EVENTS 29 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 12 reports
Gear collapse during landing 7 reports (two Be35s; Be36; Be55; two Be58s; Be95)
Gear up landing 4 reports (Be35; three Be36s)
Nose wheel separation during landing 1 report (Be33)
Engine failure 8 reports
Engine failure in flight 3 reports (Be33; Be35; Be36)
Engine failure during/immediately after takeoff 2 reports (both Be36s)
Engine failure shortly after takeoff/catastrophic failure 1 report (Be36)
Dual partial power loss/off-airport landing (Be58)
Engine failure in flight/oil loss 1 report (Be36)
Impact during landing 3 reports
Runway overrun 1 report (Be58)
Landed short 1 report (Be36)
Loss of directional control during landing 1 report (Be95)
Impact during takeoff
Aborted takeoff/runway overrun 1 report (Be55)
Loss of directional control during takeoff/contaminated runway 1 report (Be35)
Miscellaneous
Taxi into object 1 report (Be36)
Door open after takeoff/descent into terrain 1 report (Be36)
Bird strike 1 report (Be55)
Taxi into object/other aircraft 1 report (Be36)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 5 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be19 Sport 1 report
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 1 report
Be24 Sierra 1 report
Be76 Duchess 1 report
Be77 Skipper 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 4 reports
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: 2 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
Engine failure 2 reports
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be24)
Engine failure shortly after takeoff 1 report (Be19)
Landing gear related mishaps
Gear up landing 1 report (Be76)
Impact during landing
Loss of directional control during landing 1 report (Be77)
Unknown cause
Off-airport landing/reasons unknown 1 report (Be23)
MISCELLANEOUS Models: 1 report
Be45 Mentor/T-34 1 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 1 report
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 0 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: 0 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 1 report
Landing gear related mishaps
Gear up landing 1 report (Be45)
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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