Piston Beechcraft Accidents July 31 – August 6, 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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From unofficial sources
7/15 (time not reported): A news report states:
[A] 74-year-old…man was flying from Wangaratta in Victoria to Moruya in NSW [New South Wales, Australia] when his [Be33] vanished…. The body of a man has been located in wreckage in the Snowy Mountains on Friday, after a multi-day police search for a plane that went missing earlier [in the] week.
…the pilot…[had] been missing since Tuesday afternoon and was last seen at Wangaratta in Victoria when his plane was inspected before takeoff. Police said earlier on Friday that a pilot could not have survived after his light plane crashed into a remote region of the Snowy Mountains earlier this week.
NSW police started an air and land search…when he did not arrive at his destination of Moruya airport on the NSW south coast. The downed plane was spotted near Dargals Trail east of Khancoban on Thursday afternoon. A Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesperson said Stephens was flying a single-engine 1966 Beechcraft Debonair 35-C33. [Responders] said on Friday the aircraft had been completely destroyed
(“Crash/unknown”; “Fatal”; “Aeroplane destroyed”)
New reports this week
7/9 0140Z (1840 local Tuesday evening 7/8/25): An NTSB preliminary report states:
…a Beech A36, N41VH, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Coolin, Idaho. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries.
According to the pilot, while departing from Cavanaugh Bay Airport (66S) Coolin, Idaho, the right wing contacted a tree at the end of the runway, and the airplane rolled over and came to rest in a lake located just off the end of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings.
Witnesses to the accident reported they heard the engine running at a “high RPM” and saw the airplane make a steep right bank on the departure end of the runway before the right wing struck trees. Density altitude at the time of the accident was calculated to be about 5,267 ft.
N41VH (E-2832) is a 1993 A36.
(“Collision with obstacles/trees at the end of the runway”; “Substantial damage”—the pilot’s report and witness accounts differ on whether control was lost and then the airplane hit the tree, or the airplane hit the tree resulting in loss of control. Hopefully the NTSB report will be clearer).
8/2 1904Z (1304 local Saturday afternoon): Three aboard a Be35 were unhurt, and the Bonanza received no damage, when the pilot made a forced landing on a road following engine failure near Bent, New Mexico. N6106V (D-7796) is an S35.
(“Engine failure in flight”—and a great job getting the airplane safely down in inhospitable terrain).
New NTSB reports this week
7/8 A36 collision with trees at Coolin, Idaho, cited above.
2025 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2025
Total reported: 80 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 42 reports
Operation in IMC: 4 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 35 reports
Operation at night: 5 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 4 reports
Fatal accidents: 9 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 14 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 17 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 70 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be36 Bonanza 23 reports
Be35 Bonanza 19 reports
Be55 Baron 12 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 7 reports
Be58 Baron 6 reports
Be95 Travel Air 3 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 33 reports
Operation in IMC: 4 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 32 reports
Operation at night: 4 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 4 reports
Fatal accidents: 9 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 11 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 17 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 13 reports
Engine failure 6 reports
Engine failure in flight/oil loss 2 reports (both Be36s)
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure immediately after takeoff 1 report (Be36)
Fuel starvation 1 report (Be55)
Partial power loss/off-airport landing 1 report (Be36)
Impact during/immediately after takeoff 2 reports
Loss of control/IFR departure 1 report (Be36)
Loss of control in flight/door open after takeoff 1 report (Be55)
Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) 2 reports
Controlled Flight into Terrain/thunderstorms 1 report (Be58)
Controlled flight into terrain/mountains 1 report (Be35)
Impact during landing
Loss of directional control/visual landing 1 report (Be55)
Unknown
Takeoff/unknown 1 report (Be35)
Crash/unknown 1 report (Be33)
OTHER EVENTS 57 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 23 reports
Gear collapse during landing 12 reports (Be33; two Be36s; two Be55s; two Be58s; Be95)
Gear up landing 9 reports (three Be35s; Be33; four Be36s; Be58)
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)
Gear collapse during takeoff 1 report (Be55)
Gear up landing/electrical failure 1 report (Be55)
Engine failure 18 reports
Engine failure in flight 7 reports (Be33; five Be35s; Be36)
Engine failure during/immediately after takeoff 4 reports (Be33; two Be36s; Be55)
Engine failure shortly after takeoff/catastrophic failure 1 report (Be36)
Partial power loss immediately after takeoff
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)
Engine failure during landing 1 report (Be36)
Engine failure during approach/landing 1 report (Be35)
Impact during landing 4 reports
Runway overrun 1 report (Be58)
Landed short 1 report (Be36)
Loss of directional control during landing 1 report (Be95)
Propeller strike during landing 1 report (Be55)
Impact during takeoff 4 reports
Aborted takeoff/runway overrun 1 report (Be55)
Loss of directional control during takeoff/contaminated runway 1 report (Be35)
Collision with obstacles during takeoff 1 report (Be35)
Collision with obstacles/trees at the end of the runway 1 report (Be36)
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)
Takeoff with tow bar attached 1 report (Be35)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 10 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be19 Sport 3 reports
Be76 Duchess 2 reports
Be24 Sierra 2 reports
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 2 reports
Be77 Skipper 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 7 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 3 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: 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 10 reports
Impact during landing 4 reports
Loss of directional control during landing 3 reports (two Be19s; Be77)
Hard landing 1 report (Be76)
Engine failure 3 reports
Engine failure during/immediately after takeoff 2 reports (Be19; Be24)
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be24)
Landing gear related mishaps
Gear up landing 1 report (Be76)
Impact during takeoff
Loss of directional control during takeoff 1 report (Be23)
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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