Piston Beechcraft Accidents September 25 – October 1, 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
9/25 1825Z (1425 local Thursday afternoon): A Be35 “struck a bird” in cruise flight near Quinton, Virginia resulting in “damage to the windshield and avionics.” The pilot and passenger suffered “minor” injuries and the airplane “substantial” damage. N17827 (D-10015) is a 1977 V35B.
(“Bird strike”; “Substantial damage”)
New NTSB reports this week
9/5 dual-fatality P35 engine failure and loss of control shortly after takeoff during an instructional flight at Englewood, Colorado. From the NTSB preliminary report:
…a Beech P35 airplane, N463T, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Englewood, Colorado. The pilot receiving instruction and flight instructor were both fatally injured.
The pilot receiving instruction was receiving familiarization training as he planned to purchase a similar airplane. ADS-B data for the accident flight showed the airplane departed from runway 35R at the Centennial Airport (KAPA), Englewood, Colorado, about 0543, remained in the traffic pattern, and performed several landings.
Archived tower audio recordings captured that after performing a stop and go landing to runway 17L, one of the pilots said they were “on the roll”. This was the last recorded radio transmission from the airplane. When the tower controller cleared them “the option” no response was recorded. The tower controller later requested the pilots “ident” if they heard the transmission and the tower controller replied, “ident observed.” No distress calls were recorded from either pilot.
ADS-B data showed at 0622:15, the airplane stopped a climb and began to descend. At 0622:43, data recorded the airplane’s ident. The descent continued until the last recorded point of 0623:05 when the airplane was about 5,900 ft mean sea level, and 77 knots groundspeed.
A firefighter located about 1.5 miles south of the accident site heard the airplane fly overhead and heard the engine stop completely. A woman who lives in a neighborhood south of the airport was walking when she saw the airplane flying on a different flight path and lower than she was used to normally seeing. She heard the engine go silent and looked up to observe the airplane in a “hard” left bank towards the airport and in a descent. The airplane appeared normal, and she thought the airplane was conducting training.
Cameras from businesses around the accident site captured low-resolution video which showed the airplane descending in a left bank. Just before ground impact, the airplane banked right.
Figure 1 ADS-B Data Plots with Accident Site (triangle)
Change “Go-around/unknown” to “Engine failure shortly after takeoff/LOC.”
9/6 C33 partial power loss immediately after takeoff at Brookings, South Dakota. The NTSB reports:
The pilot reported a moderate vibration began at about 200-300 ft off the just after He heard a bang and he noted a and All the engine instruments looked good except for the rpm which would normally be at 2,500 rpm but was only 2,300 rpm. The pilot lowered the nose of the aircraft and began a slow turn back the airport. He applied full throtte but it did not change anything.
2025 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2025
Total reported: 112 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 57 reports
Operation in IMC: 4 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 52 reports
Operation at night: 6 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 6 reports
Fatal accidents: 12 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 19 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 22 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 99 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be36 Bonanza 32 reports
Be35 Bonanza 31 reports
Be55 Baron 16 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 11 reports
Be58 Baron 6 reports
Be95 Travel Air 3 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 46 reports
Operation in IMC: 4 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 47 reports
Operation at night: 5 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 6 reports
Fatal accidents: 12 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 15 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 22 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 18 reports
Engine failure 9 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)
Engine failure shortly after takeoff/LOC 1 report (Be35)
Fuel starvation 1 report (Be55)
Partial power loss/off-airport landing 1 report (Be36)
Engine failure during visual approach 1 report (Be36)
Partial power loss shortly after takeoff/attempted return 1 report (Be33)
Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) 3 reports
Controlled flight into terrain/mountains 2 reports (both Be35s)
Controlled Flight into Terrain/thunderstorms 1 report (Be58)
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)
Impact during landing 1 reports
Loss of directional control/visual landing 1 report (Be55)
Unknown 3 reports
Go-around/unknown 1 report (Be35s)
Takeoff/unknown 1 report (Be35)
Crash/unknown 1 report (Be33)
OTHER EVENTS 79 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 36 reports
Gear collapse during landing 14 reports (Be33; Be35; two Be36s; three Be55s; two Be58s; Be95)
Gear up landing 13 reports (five Be35s; Be33; five Be36s; Be55; Be58)
Gear up landing/mechanical failure 2 reports (Be36; Be95)
Nose wheel separation during landing 1 report (Be33)
Inadvertent gear retraction on the ground/touch and go 1 report (Be35)
Gear collapse during takeoff 1 report (Be55)
Gear up landing/electrical failure 1 report (Be55)
Gear collapse during landing/alternator failure 1 report (Be35)
Inadvertent gear retraction during landing 1 report (Be35)
Gear collapse during taxi from soft ground onto pavement 1 report (Be36)
Engine failure 22 reports
Engine failure in flight 10 reports (three Be33s; six 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)
Engine fire during takeoff/abort/gear up landing 1 report (Be36)
Impact during landing 8 reports
Landed short 2 reports (both Be36s)
Runway overrun 1 report (Be58)
Loss of directional control during landing 1 report (Be95)
Propeller strike during landing 1 report (Be55)
Go-around/collision with obstruction 1 report (Be35)
Loss of directional control during the landing roll after open door in flight 1 report (Be33)
Loss of directional control during landing/tire separation 1 report (Be55)
Impact during takeoff 5 reports
Aborted takeoff/runway overrun 1 report (Be55)
Loss of directional control during takeoff 1 report (Be33)
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 aircraft/object 2 reports (both Be36s)
Bird strike 2 reports (Be35; Be55)
Door open after takeoff/descent into terrain 1 report (Be36)
Taxi into object/other aircraft 1 report (Be36)
Takeoff with tow bar attached 1 report (Be35)
Exit window detached in flight 1 report (Be36)
Struck by taxiing aircraft while parked 1 report (Be35)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 14 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be19 Sport 4 reports
Be76 Duchess 3 reports
Be24 Sierra 3 reports
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 3 reports
Be77 Skipper 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 9 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 5 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: 4 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 14 reports
Impact during landing 7 reports
Loss of directional control during landing 4 reports (two Be19s; Be24; Be77)
Hard landing 2 reports (Be19; Be76)
Loss of directional control during the landing roll after open door in flight 1 report (Be23)
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 2 reports
Gear up landing 1 report (Be76)
Gear collapse during 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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Recognize an N-number? Want to check on friends or family that may have been involved in a cited mishap? Click here to find the registered owner. Please accept my sincere personal condolences if you or anyone you know was involved in a mishap. I welcome your comments, suggestions and criticisms.