Piston Beechcraft Accidents May 15 – May 21, 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
5/15 1526Z (1126 local Thursday morning): A Be95 landed gear up at Greenville, South Carolina. The two aboard were unhurt and airplane damage is “unknown.” N668Q (TD-326) is a 1959 B95.
(“Gear up landing/mechanical failure”—local news was on site to video the landing, and shows the fire department had foamed the runway as a fire retardant…obviously making this gear-up something other than a missed checklist item.)
5/16 2030Z (1530 local Friday afternoon): A Be33 “crashed under unknown circumstances” after takeoff from West Houston Airport, Houston, Texas. The solo pilot was killed and the Bonanza was “destroyed.” N6376S (CE-619) was a 1975 F33A.
(“Crash/unknown”; “Fatal”; “Airplane destroyed”—local news confirms the tragic outcome).
5/17 1433Z (0833 local Saturday morning): Two aboard a Be55 died and the Baron was “destroyed” in a post-crash fire shortly after takeoff at Broomfield, Colorado. N4321Z (TC-1463) was a 1972 B55.
(“Loss of control in flight/door open after takeoff”; “Fatal”; “Airplane destroyed”—the Aviation Safety Network reports:
The airplane climbed to an altitude of approx[imately] 300 ft AGL before descending into a right-hand turn at -2000 ft/min. According to air traffic control data, after takeoff, the pilot radioed: “We’re going to have to go back and re-land. We’ve got the door popped open…”
See Rite of Passage: Door Open in Flight).
5/19 1624Z (1124 local Monday morning): A Be35 “experienced engine issues” and its pilot landed in a field near Poplar Grove, Illinois. The solo pilot was unhurt and there is no reported damage to the airplane. N6015E (D-5941) is a 1959 K35.
(“Engine failure in flight”)
New NTSB reports this week
There are no newly posted piston Beech BTSB reports this week.
2025 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2025
Total reported: 50 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 28 reports
Operation in IMC: 3 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 20 reports
Operation at night: 4 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 2 reports
Fatal accidents: 5 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 12 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 8 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 43 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be36 Bonanza 18 reports
Be35 Bonanza 8 reports
Be55 Baron 7 reports
Be58 Baron 4 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 3 reports
Be95 Travel Air 3 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 21 reports
Operation in IMC: 3 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 19 reports
Operation at night: 3 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 2 reports
Fatal accidents: 5 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 9 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 8 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 7 reports
Engine failure 4 reports
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure immediately after takeoff 1 report (Be36)
Fuel starvation 1 report (Be55)
Engine failure in flight/oil loss 1 report (Be36)
Impact during/immediately after takeoff 3 reports
Loss of control/IFR departure 1 report (Be36)
Loss of control in flight/door open after takeoff 1 report (Be55)
Crash/unknown 1 report (Be33)
OTHER EVENTS 36 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 15 reports
Gear collapse during landing 9 reports (two Be35s; two Be36s; two Be55s; two Be58s; Be95)
Gear up landing 5 reports (two Be35s; three Be36s)
Nose wheel separation during landing 1 report (Be33)
Inadvertent gear retraction on the ground/touch and go 1 report (Be35)
Gear up landing/mechanical failure 1 report (Be95)
Engine failure 10 reports
Engine failure in flight 4 reports (Be33; two Be35s; 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 1 report (Be58)
Engine failure in flight/oil loss 1 report (Be36)
Propeller separation in flight 1 report (Be55)
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: 7 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be19 Sport 2 reports
Be24 Sierra 2 reports
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 1 report
Be76 Duchess 1 report
Be77 Skipper 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 6 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: 3 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 7 reports
Engine failure 3 reports
Engine failure during/immediately after takeoff 2 reports (Be19; Be24)
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be24)
Impact during landing 2 reports
Loss of directional control during landing 2 reports (Be19; Be77)
Landing gear related mishaps
Gear up landing 1 report (Be76)
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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