Piston Beechcraft Accidents December 4 – December 10, 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
12/8 2253Z (1753 local Monday evening): Two aboard a Be55 were uninjured, but the lone occupant of a car into which the Baron crashed, suffered “minor” injuries, when the aircraft “experienced engine issues and crashed into a car on [Interstate highway] I-95” on Merritt Island, Florida. N95KC (TE-202) is a 1966 C55.
(“Dual engine failure immediately after takeoff/Fuel exhaustion”—the Aviation Safety Network adds:
The FAA reported that the airplane experienced engine issues before the accident. On December 10, 2025, the NTSB added the event on their database as a class 4 investigation and assigned the “defining event” as “fuel starvation.”
“Fuel starvation” is when fuel is available on board the aircraft but for some reason it is not being delivered to the engine(s). Contrast this with fuel exhaustion, which is running completely out of fuel.
Flightaware shows a flight path consistent with flight instruction prior to the crash [or a sightseeing flight, or personal practice]. Dramatic video of the crash shows the Baron gliding directly onto the automobile.
Given the NTSB’s reported comment, it’s possible the pilot attempted to take off with auxiliary tanks selected, intentionally or inadvertently. C55 Barons have independently selectable auxiliary fuel tanks, with a limitation limiting their use to “level flight only.” There have been several crashes of Barons with similar fuel systems when auxiliary tanks were selected for takeoff and fuel imported, causing the engines to quit. It would be interesting to learn where the fuel selectors were found to be set in this investigation).
NTSB Preliminary Reports
There are no newly posted piston Beech NTSB reports this week.
2025 SUMMARY
Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2025
Total reported: 132 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 73 reports
Operation in IMC: 5 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 56 reports
Operation at night: 6 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 6 reports
Fatal accidents: 17 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 24 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 27 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 116 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be35 Bonanza 37 reports
Be36 Bonanza 33 reports
Be55 Baron 19 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 12 reports
Be58 Baron 10 reports
Be95 Travel Air 5 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 59 reports
Operation in IMC: 5 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 50 reports
Operation at night: 5 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 6 reports
Fatal accidents: 17 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 19 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 27 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 23 reports
Engine failure 10 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)
Engine failure in flight/loss of control during descent 1 report (Be58)
Partial power loss shortly after takeoff/attempted return 1 report (Be33)
Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) 4 reports
Controlled flight into terrain/mountains 3 reports (all Be35s)
Controlled Flight into Terrain/thunderstorms 1 report (Be58)
Loss of control in flight 3 reports
Loss of control in flight 1 report (Be58)
Loss of control departing in reported heavy precipitation 1 report (Be35)
Loss of control during visual descent 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 report
Loss of directional control/visual landing 1 report (Be55)
Unknown 3 reports
Crash/unknown 1 reports (Be33)
Go-around/unknown 1 report (Be35s)
Takeoff/unknown 1 report (Be35)
OTHER EVENTS 91 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 41 reports
Gear up landing 17 reports (six Be35s; Be33; five Be36s; two Be55s; Be58; two Be95s)
Gear collapse during landing 15 reports (Be33; two Be35s; two Be36s; three Be55s; two Be58s; Be95)
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 24 reports
Engine failure in flight 10 reports (three Be33s; six Be35s; Be36)
Engine failure during/immediately after takeoff 5 reports (two Be33s; 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)
Dual engine failure immediately after takeoff/Fuel exhaustion 1 report (Be55)
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 10 reports
Landed short 2 reports (both Be36s)
Landing/unknown 2 reports (Be35; Be36)
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 6 reports
Aborted takeoff/runway overrun 1 report (Be55)
Rejected takeoff/runway excursion 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
Exit window detached in flight 3 reports (Be35; Be36; Be58)
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)
Struck by taxiing aircraft while parked 1 report (Be35)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 18 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 5 reports
Be19 Sport 4 reports
Be24 Sierra 4 reports
Be76 Duchess 4 reports
Be77 Skipper 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 12 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 6 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: 5 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 18 reports
Impact during landing 8 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 3 reports
Gear up landing 2 reports (Be24; Be76)
Gear collapse during landing 1 report (Be76)
Impact during takeoff
Loss of directional control during takeoff 1 report (Be23)
Miscellaneous/Unknown cause
Bird strike 1 report (Be76)
Taxied into object/obstruction 1 report (Be23)
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.