Piston Beechcraft Accidents 1/12/2024 through 1/17/2024
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.
©2024 Mastery Flight Training, Inc. All Rights Reserved
THE WEEKLY ACCIDENT UPDATE IS AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCT OF MASTERY FLIGHT TRAINING, INC.
The 2023 End of Year Piston Beech Accident Summary update 1 is posted on the Mastery Flight Training, Inc. website. This summary will be updated and linked from the Beech Weekly Accident Update as new information comes in.
New 2024 reports this week
1/14 1724Z (1224 local Sunday afternoon): Three aboard a Be55 died during an instructional flight at Leyden, Massachusetts. The Baron has “unknown” damage. N7345R (TC-1707) was a 1974 B55.
(“Stall/spin/Loss of control in flight”; “Fatal”; “Airplane destroyed [more in a moment]; “VMC” [at least at the surface]; “Dual instruction”—The Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network adds:
A Beechcraft 95-B55 Baron crashed in a heavily wooded area near Greenfield, Massachusetts. A flight instructor, an airline pilot and a student pilot perished and the aircraft was destroyed.
ADS-B data indicated a steep descent beginning at a groundspeed of 57 knots, with decreasing groundspeed. The extrapolated descent rate just prior to signal loss was over -6,000 feet per minute, at a groundspeed of 17 knots.
The Aviation Accidents: This Day in History Facebook page provides additional, unverified details:
The airline transport pilot, seated in the right, the student pilot, seated in the left, and a flight instructor, seated in the back, were all fatally injured. The aircraft was being operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. The flight originated from Westfield-Barnes Airport (BAF/KBAF), MA, about 19m earlier.
ADS-B data shows that the airplane was cruising at about 3900 feet when ground speed values started to drop and the altitude started to increase. The airplane climbed to an altitude of about 4500 feet, with a reported ground speed of about 57 knots. This was followed by a steep descent with extremely low ground speed values. The last ADS-B return was recorded at 1,525 feet, showed an average rate of about -7,219 fpm, and a ground speed of about 20 knots.
Pilot Info:
The 68-year-old pilot seated in the right held an airline transport pilot certificate, issued on 12/22/2018, with a rating for airplane and multi engine land. He also held commercial privileges to airplane single engine land, airplane multi engine land, rotorcraft and gyroplane, instrument helicopter, glider, and lighter-than-air balloons. His flight instructor certificate was issued on 3/21/2023, with ratings for airplane single engine and multi engine, rotorcraft and gyroplane, instrument for airplane and helicopter, and glider, which expires in 31 MAY 2025. He also held a remote pilot certificate, issued on 3/21/2017, and a repairman/experimental aircraft builder certificate, issued on 3/13/1991. His most recent second class FAA medical was issued on 5/2023, with a note “MUST USE CORRECTIVE LENS(ES) TO MEET VISION STANDARDS AT ALL REQUIRED DISTANCES”.
The 29-year-old student held a commercial pilot certificate, issued on 1/8/2013, with a rating for airplane single engine land, airplane multi engine land, and an instrument rating for airplane. His most recent first class FAA medical was issued on 7/2023.
The 53-year-old pilot seated in the back, who was the owner of the flight school, held a commercial pilot certificate, issued on 10/1/2020, with ratings for airplane single engine and multi engine land, airplane single engine sea, and an instrument rating. She also held a flight instructor certificate, issued on 2/21/2022, with a rating for airplane single engine land, and an instrument rating, which expires in 29 FEB 2024. Her most recent first class FAA medical was issued on 6/2023, with a note “MUST USE CORRECTIVE LENS(ES) TO MEET VISION STANDARDS AT ALL REQUIRED DISTANCES.”
METAR:
At 10:53 LT: METAR KBAF 141553Z 21014G25KT 10SM OVC049 02/M08 A2975 RMK AO2 PRESFR SLP080 T00171078
At 11:53 LT: METAR KBAF 141653Z 21017KT 10SM BKN048 OVC055 02/M07 A2971 RMK AO2 SLP065 T00221072
Flightaware:
https://www.flightaware.com/…/L%2042.65721%20-72.60040
ADS-B:
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a9dcfe&lat=42.657…
(end of This Day account)
The flight path and airspeed record suggests another possible single-engine stall falling out an attempted VMC Demonstration maneuver. These are disappointingly common in Barons and Travel Airs, and a exacerbated by an aft center of gravity such as would be created by carrying an observer in the rear seats.
It might also describe a stall on two engines that devolved into a spin—the final maneuver began below the recommended 5000 feet AGL entry altitude for a VMC Demonstration and included a climb when the Demonstration is entered from level flight; the flight path includes a decelerating climb that is more descriptive of usual technique for a Power On stall, and well above the recommended 1500 AGL minimum recovery altitude for stalls. Online discussion also focuses on strong turbulence reported in the region on the day of the crash, and reasonably expected airframe icing had the Baron, not certificated for flight in icing conditions, entered clouds or precipitation while maneuvering.)
New 2024 NTSB reports this week
1/1 C23 hard landing and destruction by fire at Mansfield, Louisiana. Change “Landing/unknown” to “Hard landing/nose gear collapse/destroyed by fire” and “Weather unknown” to VMC. This is an NTSB Class 4 investigation and will probably not yield more information in the final investigation.
2024 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2024:
Total reported: 6 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 2 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 4 reports
Operation at night: 1 report
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 1 report
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 0 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 2 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 5 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 2 reports
Be35 Bonanza 1 report
Be36 Bonanza 1 report
Be55 Baron 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 1 report
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 4 reports
Operation at night: 1 report
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Fatal accidents: 1 report
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 0 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 1 report
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 1 report
Loss of Control in Flight (LOC-I)
Stall/spin/Loss of control in flight/Dual instruction 1 report (Be55)
OTHER EVENTS 4 reports
Landing gear related mishaps
Gear collapse during landing 2 reports (Be33; Be35)
Wheel separation during landing 1 report (Be36)
Impact during landing
“Runway overrun/door open after liftoff/attempted to land on remaining runway/nose gear collapse” 1 report (Be33)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 1 report
By Aircraft Type
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 1 report
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”: 1 report
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE (all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 0 reports
OTHER EVENTS 1 report
Impact on landing
Hard landing/nose gear collapse/destroyed by fire 1 report (Be23)
MISCELLANEOUS Models: 0 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 0 reports
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 0 reports