Beechcraft Piston Aircraft Accidents posted 12/3/2009 through 12/10/2009 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. 2009 Mastery Flight Training, Inc. All Rights Reserved for more information, analysis and comment see www.mastery-flight-training.com. All information is preliminary and subject to change. Comments on preliminary topics 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. THE WEEKLY ACCIDENT UPDATE IS AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCT OF MASTERY FLIGHT TRAINING, INC. NEW FAA REPORTS THIS WEEK 12/4 1940Z (1340 local): A Be50 s gear collapsed on landing at Osceola, Arkansas. Two aboard the Twin Bonanza were not hurt, and damage is minor. Weather: 15,000 scattered, visibility 10 miles with a three-knot surface wind. N633F (CH-70) is a 1954 B50 recently (October 2009) registered to an individual in Marion, Arkansas. ( Gear collapse on landing ; Recent registration ) 12/6 2015Z (1415 local): A Be35 s landed hard and its landing gear collapsed on touchdown at Dodge City, Kansas. The Bonanza then went off the side of the runway, incurring substantial damage. Two aboard the pleasure flight report no injuries. Weather was IMC: 500 overcast, visibility two miles in freezing rain and drizzle, with winds from 010 at 16 knots. N108L (D-8300) is/was a 1966 V35 registered since 1988 to an individual in Independence, Oregon. ( Hard landing airframe ice [more momentarily]; Substantial damage ; IMC ; Wind given the freezing rain, one possibility is the hard landing related to landing with a load of airframe ice. Circumstantial evidence appears to confirm this. A log of the flight shows the Bonanza departed from Blaine, MN at 10:52 local time on an IFR flight plan for Dalhart, TX. After passing through an area of precipitation radar returns the flight was diverted to Dodge City, where the mishap occurred. Local news reports the pilot decided to land at the Dodge City Airport because of the snow. During approach, however, the plane's air speed indicator stopped working, and [the airplane] hit the runway hard, snapping off his landing gear.) 12/9 0001Z (1601 local 12/8/09): A Be35 landed gear up at Corvallis, Oregon. The solo pilot was not hurt; damage is unknown and weather not reported. N8577A (D-1999) is a 1948 A35 registered since 2005 to a corporation in Sandy, Oregon. ( Gear up landing ) UPDATES FROM NTSB Events previously appearing in the Weekly Accident Update: **There are no new Beech piston aircraft NTSB reports this week.**
SUMMARY: Reported Hawker Beechcraft piston mishaps, year-to-date 2009: Total reported: 166 reports Operation in VMC: 115 reports Operation in IMC: 5 reports Weather unknown or not reported : 46 reports Operation at night: 13 reports Surface wind > 15 knots: 18 reports Fatal accidents: 19 reports Serious injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 6 reports Substantial damage: 64 reports Aircraft destroyed : 17 reports Recent registration (within previous 12 months): 24 reports (Note: FAA preliminary reports no longer identify the purpose of the flight involved in mishap. Consequently the number and percentage of Beech mishaps that occur during dual instruction will become less and less accurate over time. Since the late 1990s the percentage of Beech mishaps that take place during dual flight instruction has remained very consistently about 10%). By Aircraft Type: Be36 Bonanza 44 reports Be35 Bonanza 43 reports Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 19 reports Be58 Baron 12 reports Be55 Baron 10 reports Be24 Sierra 9 reports Be76 Duchess 7 reports Be18 Twin Beech 5 reports Be19 Sport 5 reports Be50 Twin Bonanza 3 reports Be60 Duke 3 reports Be17 Staggerwing 2 reports Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 2 reports Be56 Turbo Baron 1 report Be77 Skipper 1 report Be95 Travel Air 1 report PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF CAUSE (all subject to update per NTSB findings): LANDING GEAR-RELATED MISHAPS (68 reports) Gear up landing 27 reports (two Be24s; two Be33s; twelve Be35s; seven Be36s; Be50; Be56; Be58; Be76) Gear collapse (landing) 22 reports (two Be24s; four Be33s; four Be35s; two Be36s; two Be50s; four Be55s; two Be58s; two Be76s)
Failure of landing gear to extend due to mechanical failure 4 reports (Be24; Be33; Be58; Be60) Gear collapse during taxi 3 reports (Be24; Be36; Be76) Gear collapse on takeoff 3 reports (Be24; Be35; Be58) Gear collapse on landing following electrical failure 2 reports (Be35; Be36) Gear collapse on touch and go 2 reports (Be33; Be36) Gear collapse retract rod failure after improper installation Wheel failure/separation 1 report (Be33) Gear collapse on landing pilot-induced retraction on the runway Gear collapse retract rod bearing separation 1 report (Be55) Tailwheel failure 1 report (Be18)...for more on Landing Gear-Related Mishaps see these data and this commentary. ENGINE FAILURE (33 reports) Engine failure in flight 11 reports (Be18; two Be19s; Be33; three Be35s; three Be36s; Be55) Engine failure on takeoff 6 reports (Be33; three Be35s; Be36; Be55) Fuel starvation 4 reports (Be33; three Be36s) Fuel exhaustion 2 reports (Be35; Be60)...for more on fuel management-related mishaps see www.thomaspturner.net/fuel.htm. Piston/cylinder failure in flight 3 reports (two Be35s; Be36) Engine failure on approach 2 report s(both Be33s) Loss of oil pressure
1 report (Be24) Engine failure in the traffic pattern 1 report (Be33) Catastrophic oil loss Fuel starvation fuel cap O-ring failure Loss of turbo boost induction manifold failure 1 report (Be58) IMPACT ON LANDING (28 reports) Loss of directional control on landing 7 reports (Be18; Be19; two Be35s; Be36; Be58; Be76) Hard landing 3 reports (Be19; Be35; Be36) Landed long runway overrun 3 reports (Be17; Be33; Be36) Collision with animal on landing 3 reports (two Be36s; Be58) Landed short 3 reports (Be35; Be36; Be58) Wingtip contact with the runway 2 reports (Be58; Be77) Hard landing airframe ice 2 reports (Be35; Be58) Loss of directional control on landing strong, gusty wind 1 report (Be17) Hard landing simulated engine failure on takeoff (twin-engine airplane) 1 report (Be58) Hard landing landing gear collapse (fixed gear) 1 report (Be19) Loss of directional control on go-around/fuel imbalance Go-around/failed to clear obstacles 1 report (Be58) Propeller strike on landing 1 report (Be76)
MISCELLANEOUS (12 reports) Taxied into obstacle 3 reports(be35; Be36; Be58) Wheel/strut failure on landing fixed gear airplane 1 report (Be23) Unattended airplane with engine running taxis into obstruction Windscreen separation in flight Runway overrun high-speed taxi test 1 report (Be60) Unoccupied aircraft rolled into parked airplanes Struck by taxiing aircraft Cowling open in flight 1 report (Be33) Tire blown on landing In-flight breakup: thunderstorm penetration CAUSE UNKNOWN (10 reports) Takeoff/Unknown 4 reports (Be19; Be35; Be36; Be95) Crash/unknown 3 reports (Be33; Be35; Be36) Go-around/unknown 2 reports (Be24; Be35) Landing/unknown 1 reports (Be76) IMPACT WITH OBJECT DURING TAKEOFF (6 reports) Loss of directional control during takeoff strong, gusty wind 2 reports (Be35; Be55) Runway overrun during attempted aborted takeoff
Loss of directional control on takeoff touch and go 1 report (Be23) Runway overrun failure to attain climb Loss of control authority on takeoff STALL/SPIN (5 reports) Stall on final approach 2 reports (Be33; Be36) Stall/spin on approach 1 report (Be18) Stall/loss of control during go-around 1 report (Be55) Stall/spin during attempted aerobatics 1 report (Be55) CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN (4 reports) Airframe ice in cruise unable to maintain altitude Attempted visual flight into IMC 2 reports (both Be36s) Collision with tower during low-altitude maneuvering 1 report (Be18) LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT (1 report) Loss of control: Attempted visual departure in IMC 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. Fly safe, and have fun!