Piston Beechcraft Accidents 8/31/2023 – 10/20/2023
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.
©2023 Mastery Flight Training, Inc. All Rights Reserved
THE WEEKLY ACCIDENT UPDATE IS AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCT OF MASTERY FLIGHT TRAINING, INC.
This Beech Weekly Report includes information available for the period during which I was unable to post to the Mastery Flight Training, Inc. website.
New reports this week
8/27 1440Z (0640 local Sunday morning): A Be36 “crashed under unknown circumstances” at Yakataga, Alaska. The two aboard perished and the aircraft’s damage is not reported. N6709Q (EA-368) was a 1983 B36TC.
(“Cruise/unknown”; “Fatal”; “Aircraft destroyed”—from the Aviation Safety Network:
A Beechcraft B36TC Bonanza with two POB was reported missing in the vicinity of the Gulf of Alaska, Alaska on August 27, 2023. The aircraft was located by the U.S. Coast Guard on Aug. 28. The wreckage was found at an elevation of about 5,100 feet in snow-covered mountains roughly 17 miles northwest of Cape Yakataga.)
8/31 1700Z (1100 local Thursday morning): A Be35 landed gear up at Ennis, Montana. The two aboard were unhurt; damage is “substantial”. N92NJ (D-6604) is a 1960 N35.
(“Gear up landing”; “Substantial damage)
9/1 2000Z (1500 local Friday afternoon): A Be33 “experienced engine issues and made a forced landing in a field” at Ava, Missouri. The two aboard escaped injury and airplane damage is “substantial”. N9522Y (CD-551) is a 1962 B33.
(“Catastrophic engine failure in flight”; “Substantial damage”—from the NTSB preliminary report:
The airplane departed from the Floyd W. Jones Lebanon Airport (LBO), Lebanon, Missouri, about 1230, for the local area flight. The purpose of the flight was for the pilot, who is also the mechanic, to become familiar with the airplane, as the owner was preparing to sell the airplane. The pilot was helping the owner sell the airplane. While enroute, and about 1 mile south of Ava, Missouri, the engine sustained a loss of oil pressure and a total loss of engine power occurred. During the loss of engine power, engine oil covered the cowling, the windscreen, and the lower fuselage. The pilot performed a forced landing to a grass field and during the landing, the nose gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest upright, but with a nose down attitude. The pilot and the passenger were able to egress from the airplane without further incident.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage and the engine mount. A hole was found in the engine case. The airplane is pending recovering from the field for a future examination. The airplane was equipped with a Continental Motors IO-470-K reciprocating engine and a Hartzell Propeller aluminum 3-blade controllable pitch propeller. According to the pilot, the airplane had an annual inspection performed on August 1, 2023, and up until the accident, the airplane had a “smooth running engine.”
9/2 1500Z (1100 local Saturday morning): A Be35 “experienced engine issues.” The pilot “made an emergency landing in a field and [the aircraft] flipped over,” at Rutledge, Tennessee. The two aboard escaped injury despite “substantial” airplane damage. N5431U (D-8515) is a 1967 V35.
(“Catastrophic engine failure in flight”; “Substantial damage”—the NTSB preliminary report states:
About 15 minutes into the flight, over a forested area, the engine made a “loud bang” and started running rough. As [the pilot] turned to a southerly heading and on [sic] open field, the engine seized. Unable to land in the open field, he performed a forced landing into some trees. The wreckage came to rest inverted, and the pilot and passenger were met by first responders.
FAA inspectors responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. The wreckage was found inverted, in a wooded area. There was no fire. The fuselage, wings, and empennage were substantially damaged. The external surfaces of the fuselage were covered with engine oil.)
9/4 1430Z (0930 local Monday morning): A Be36 suffered engine failure in cruise flight and the pilot glided to a gear-up landing in the grass on the Frankfort, Kentucky airport, colliding with taxiway lights. The four aboard were not seriously hurt. N1WN (E-2681) is a 1991 A36.
(“Engine failure in flight”; “Substantial damage”—the NTSB reports:
About 90 minutes into the flight, while in cruise flight at 7,000 ft mean sea level, the engine stopped producing power and the propeller continued to windmill. The pilot disengaged the autopilot, advanced the throttle, and established best glide speed. He declared the emergency to air traffic control who advised him that the nearest airport was Capital City Airport (FFT), Frankfort, Kentucky, about 8 nm ahead. The pilot took no further remedial actions to restore engine power. When he realized that the airplane would not reach the runway at FFT, he landed gear-up on airport property, where the airplane slid across a taxiway, struck a taxiway light, and came to rest in the grass.)
9/4 1618Z (1018 local Monday morning): A Be35 landed gear up at Denver, Colorado. The solo pilot was unhurt and airplane damage is “unknown”. N78KM (D-5497) is a 1958 J35.
(“Gear up landing”)
9/6 1745Z (1145 local Wednesday morning): A Be35 landed gear up at Marana, Arizona. The solo pilot was unhurt and airplane damage is “unknown”. N7841M (D-7398) is a 1964 S35.
(“Gear up landing”)
9/10 1500Z (1000 local Sunday morning):” A Be35 landed gear up at Burlington, Iowa. The two aboard weren’t hurt and airplane damage is “unknown.” N999GT (D-7686) is a 1964 S35.
(“Gear up landing”)
9/19 1800Z (1200 local Tuesday noon): A Be33 “landed gear up” at Bryce Canyon, Utah. The solo pilot wasn’t injured and airplane damage is “minor”. N5837S (CD-819) is a 1964 C33.
(“Gear up landing”)
9/22 2108Z (1508 local Friday afternoon): A Be58 “landed gear up” at Albuquerque, New Mexico. The solo pilot was not hurt and airplane damage is “unknown”. N5090D (TH-2090) is a Baron 58.
(“Gear up landing”)
9/23 2145Z (1645 local Saturday afternoon): A Be36 “crashed under unknown circumstances” at El Dorado, Arkansas. The two aboard suffered “minor” injuries while the extent of airplane damage is “unknown”. N67CD (E-2554) is a 1990 A36.
(“Engine failure in flight”—as is often the case, the Flight Safety Foundation’s Aviation Safety Network (ASN) provides more details: After departing Gulf Shores, Alabama bound for Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,
Following an engine failure, [the] Beechcraft A36 Bonanza crashed near [the] Hibanks community, about 4 miles southeast of El Dorado, Arkansas during a diversionary attempt to El Dorado Downtown Airport, AR (F43).
Flightaware shows the airplane was enroute about two hours 25 minutes when it made a constant, controlled descent from 10,000 feet at ground speeds consistent with engine-out glide.
The NTSB preliminary report adds:
The airplane engine was equipped with a turbocharger through a supplemental type certificate installation. About six weeks prior to the accident flight, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power.
The accident flight was a cross country flight to provide the pilot/airplane owner with training required by the pilot’s insurance carrier. During the accident flight, the airplane operated normally during the first two hours of the flight but was then followed by a fuel flow/consumption rate that seemed a little high to the flight instructor. When the instructor tried to reduce the mixture setting, the engine began to run rough, which he thought was unusual. The engine began to run rough again, and the instructor increased the mixture setting, which smoothed the engine. The engine then ran rough two additional times, and both times, the instructor increased the mixture setting causing the engine roughness to cease. The engine roughness occurred again but was worse than roughness previously experienced. The instructor increased the mixture control to its full forward position and decided to divert to an alternate airport. The engine lost power during the approach to the alternate airport, and the flight instructor performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings.)
9/24 0014Z (1914 local Saturday evening 9/23/23): A Be23:
…was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Gonzales, Texas. The pilot received minor injuries.
According to the pilot, he intended to complete a personal flight to Roger M Dreyer Memorial Airport (T20), Gonzales, Texas. During the final approach to runway 15 he experienced wind shear and elected to go around. He applied full throttle and began to climb out when he heard “a loud hissing sound.” The engine experienced a loss of power, and the pilot made a forced landing to a field off the left side of the runway. The airplane collided with a fence and a tree, which separated the right wing at the wing root. The pilot added that the fuel tanks contained 46.6 gallons of fuel before takeoff and the accident flight only required about 5 gallons of fuel.
According to the airplane maintenance records, the engine’s carburetor had been replaced three times since November 2022. The most recent rebuilt carburetor was installed on May 24, 2023, about 24 flight hours before the accident.
The airplane was equipped with a Dynon Skyview HDX, which included a primary flight display and multifunction display. The Dynon has been removed and retained for data extraction and analysis.
A detailed examination of the airplane is pending.
N18994 (M-1998) is a 1977 C23.
(“Engine failure during go-around”; “Substantial damage”)
9/28 2048Z (1648 local Thursday afternoon): A Be36 “landed and [its] nose gear collapsed” at Baltimore, Maryland. The two aboard were unhurt and the extend of damage is “unknown”. N1803X (E-1864) is a 1981 A36.
“Gear collapse during landing.” This Bonanza has a unique prior incident in its past.)
9/29 1647Z (1047 local Friday morning): An airport groundskeeper was killed when, while on a tractor mowing near the runway she was struck in the head and killed by a Be36 landing at Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The solo pilot was uninjured and airplane damage is “minor”. N9379Q (E-305) is a 1972 A36.
(“Struck airport employee near the runway during landing”; “Fatal”)
10/1 1941Z (1441 local Saturday afternoon): A Be23 “crashed at the end of the runway for unknown reasons” at Waupaca, Wisconsin. Both persons aboard suffered “serious” injuries and airplane damage is “substantial”. N1963F (M-541) is a 1963 Model 23 Musketeer.
(“Takeoff/unknown”; “Serious injuries”; “Substantial damage”
10/2 0122Z (2022 local Sunday evening 10/1/23): A Be33 “rand out of fuel in [its] right tank and [the pilot] made an emergency landing in a field,” after sunset near Enid, Oklahoma. The solo pilot reports no injury and damage to the Debonair is “unknown”. N9348Y (CD-256) is a 1961 35-A33.
(“Fuel starvation”; “Night”—the Flightaware record shows the airplane had remained in the Enid traffic pattern and flew about 20 minutes before running the right tank dry.)
10/2 1920Z (1520 local Monday afternoon): A Be23 “stalled on landing damaging [its] nose gear and prop,” at Springfield, Ohio. The solo pilot on an “instructional” flight was unhurt; airplane damage is “unknown”. N1945L (M-1821) is a 1976 C23 Sundowner.
(“Hard landing”, to be consistent with how these are usually reported)
10/3 1926Z (1426 local Tuesday afternoon): A Be36 “landed and [its] gear collapsed,” at Dallas, Texas. The solo pilot wasn’t hurt; airplane damage is “unknown”. N67230 (E-2093) is a 1983 A36.
(“Gear collapse during landing”)
10/9 1530Z (1030 local Monday morning): A Be36’s gear collapsed during landing at Lockhart, Texas. The two aboard were unhurt and airplane damage is “unknown”. N38DV (E-83) is a 1968 Model 36.
(“Gear collapse during landing”)
10/11 1530Z (1030 local Tuesday morning): A Be55’s nose gear collapsed during landing at Bentonville, Arkansas. The solo pilot reports no injury, and the extent of airplane damage is “unknown”. N1871W (TC-1563) is a 1973 B55.
(“Gear collapse during landing”)
10/14 2315Z (1615 local Saturday afternoon): A Be23 “conducting [a] touch and go exited [the] runway and struck runway lights” at Bellingham, Washington. The solo pilot on an “instructional” flight was not hurt and airplane damage was “minor.” N2012N (M-2068) is a 1978 C23 Sundowner.
(“Loss of directional control during landing”)
10/16 1950Z (1450 local Monday afternoon): A Be35’s “nose gear collapsed on [the] landing roll [to] Runway 27” at Mena, Arkansas. Two persons aboard the Bonanza have “unknown” injuries, the airplane “unknown” damage. N924V (D-9702) is a 1974 V35B.
(“Gear collapse during landing”)
10/16 2020Z (1520 local Monday afternoon): A Be58 “experienced [a] gear up landing” at Nashville, Tennessee. The solo pilot was not hurt and airplane damage is “minor”. N584R (TH-1464) is a 1985 Baron 58.
(“Gear up landing”)
10/18 1455Z (1055 local Wednesday morning): A Be58’s “landing gear collapsed after an immediate landing due to smoke in the cockpit,” at Albany, Georgia. The two aboard were unhurt and airplane damage is “minor”. N889FT (TH-1828) is a 1997 Baron 58.
(“Electrical fire in flight/gear collapse during landing”)
New NTSB reports this week
9/1 B33 catastrophic engine failure at Ava, Missouri, cited above.
9/2 V35 catastrophic engine failure in flight at Rutledge, Tennessee, cited above.
9/4 A36 engine failure and gear-up landing at Frankfort, Kentucky, cited above.
9/23 A36 engine failure an off-airport landing at El Dorado, Arkansas, cited above.
9/23 C23 engine failure during go-around at Gonzales, Texas, cited above.
2023 SUMMARY: Reported Beechcraft piston mishaps, 2023:
Total reported: 124 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 70 reports
Operation in IMC: 2 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 53 reports
Operation at night: 6 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 6 reports
Fatal accidents: 10 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 26 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 17 reports
BONANZA/BARON Series: 105 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be35 Bonanza 42 reports
Be36 Bonanza 23 reports
Be55 Baron 13 reports
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 12 reports
Be58 Baron 11 reports
Be95 Travel Air 5 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 55 reports
Operation in IMC: 2 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 49 reports
Operation at night: 5 reports
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 4 reports
Fatal accidents: 10 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 19 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 17 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE (all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 14 reports
Engine failure in flight 5 reports
Engine failure in flight 1 report (Be35)
Catastrophic engine failure in flight 1 report (Be36)
Fuel exhaustion 1 report (Be33)
Fuel starvation on final approach 1 report (Be35)
Engine failure on approach/landing 1 report (Be35)
Loss of control 4 reports
Loss of control in flight 1 report (Be35)
Loss of control in flight/vertical impact 1 report (Be36)
Loss of control on final approach/landing 1 report (Be36)
Loss of control during initial climb 1 report (Be35)
Controlled flight into terrain 1 report (Be35)
Takeoff/unknown 1 report (Be58)
Pilot struck by propeller/exited airplane with engine running 1 report (Be33)
Struck airport employee near the runway during landing 1 report (Be36)
Cruise/unknown 1 report (Be36)
OTHER EVENTS 91 reports
Landing gear related mishaps 46 reports
Gear collapse during landing 20 reports (two Be33s; nine Be35s; four Be36s; three Be55s; two Be58s)
Gear up landing 19 reports (Be33; eight Be35s; three Be36s; two Be55s; three Be58s; two Be95s)
Gear collapse during takeoff 1 report (Be35)
Gear collapse/mechanical gear failure 1 report (Be36)
Landed with gear partially extended 1 report (Be35)
Gear collapse on landing/electrical failure in flight 1 report (Be33)
Gear up landing following electrical failure 1 report (Be35)
Inadvertent gear retraction during a touch and go 1 report (Be36)
Pilot inadvertently retracted gear during landing roll 1 report (Be35)
Electrical fire in flight/gear collapse during landing 1 report (Be58)
Engine Failure 23 reports
Engine failure in flight 13 reports (six Be35s; six Be36s; Be55)
Catastrophic engine failure in flight 3 reports (Be33; Be35; Be58)
Engine failure during approach/landing 2 reports (both Be35)
Fuel starvation 2 reports (both Be33s)
Engine failure during/shortly after takeoff 1 report (Be33)
Engine failure during attempted go-around 1 report (Be35)
Catastrophic oil loss: failure of air/oil separator 1 report (Be35)
Precautionary landing in a field/low fuel 1 report (Be95)
Propeller damage in flight 1 report (Be55)
Miscellaneous 12 reports
Bird strike 4 reports (Be35; Be36; two Be55s)
Ground collision during ‘formation’ taxi 2 reports (Be36 and Be35)
Electrical fire in flight 1 report (Be33)
Cockpit fire in flight/off-airport landing 1 report (Be36)
Turbulence encounter en route 1 report (Be58)
Aborted takeoff/runway overrun 1 report (Be55)
Landed long 1 report (Be58)
Blown tire on landing 1 report (Be35)
Loss of control during new autopilot testing 1 report (Be35)
Taxiway excursion/taxi into obstructions 1 report (Be58)
Loss of directional control during takeoff 1 report (Be95)
Impact During Landing 6 reports
Loss of directional control during landing 3 reports (Be33; Be35; Be55)
Struck object/animal during landing 1 report (Be95)
Landed long/runway overrun 1 report (Be55)
Loss of control during landing/strong surface winds 1 report (Be35)
Unknown
Crash/unknown 1 report (Be55)
BEECH AERO CLUB Series: 16 reports
By Aircraft Type
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 11 reports
Be19 Sport 1 report
Be24 Sierra 2 reports
Be76 Duchess 1 report
Be77 Skipper 1 report
Environment
Operation in VMC: 13 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 3 reports
Operation at night: 1 report
Most Serious Injury
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 2 reports
Fatal accidents: 0 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 6 reports
Aircraft “destroyed”: 0 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE (all subject to update per official findings):
FATAL and SERIOUS INJURY EVENTS 2 reports
Collision with obstacle during initial climb 1 report (Be23)
Takeoff/unknown 1 report (Be23)
OTHER EVENTS 14 reports
Engine failure 6 reports
Engine failure immediately after takeoff 2 reports (Be19; Be77)
Engine failure in flight 2 reports (Be23, Be24)
Engine failure during landing 1 report (Be23)
Engine failure during go-around 1 report (Be23)
Loss of directional control during landing 2 reports (both Be23)
Gear collapse during touch and go 1 report (Be76)
Porpoised on landing/propeller strike/gear collapse 1 report (Be23)
Struck by another aircraft while parked and unoccupied 1 report (Be23)
Wing fire during fueling 1 report (Be23)
Blown tire on landing 1 report (Be24)
Hard landing 1 report (Be23)
MISCELLANEOUS Models: 4 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 2 reports
Operation in IMC: 0 reports
Weather “unknown” or “not reported”: 2 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: 1 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 4 reports
Landed long/runway overrun 2 reports (both Be60s)
Gear collapse during landing 1 report (Be45)
Struck object/animal during landing 1 report (Be50)