Beechcraft Piston Aircraft Accidents posted 12/17/2009 through 12/23/2009 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 12/17 2018Z (1518 local): A Be36 landed with its gear partially extended, at Little Rock, Arkansas. Three aboard the training flight were unhurt. Damage is minor and weather few clouds at 10,000, visibility 10 miles with a 10-knor surface wind. N555HC (E-1586) is a 1979 A36 registered since 1995 to a Farmington, New Mexico-based corporation. ( Failure of landing gear to extend due to mechanical failure [as best as we can tell from the information given]; Dual instruction this may have been a long-range cross-country training flight for a professional flight academy. Any additional reader information that reveals the actual cause would be helpful appreciated.) 12/20 2159Z (1459 local): A Be60 veered off the runway and struck a runway light during taxi at Denver, Colorado. Two aboard the Duke were not injured. Damage was minor and weather not reported. N21TR (P-42) is a 1969 Model 60 registered since 1998 to an individual in Denver. ( Taxied into obstacle ) 12/21 0130Z (1930 local 12/20/2009): A Be36 landed gear up at Beech Field, Wichita, Kansas. The pilot and two passengers were unhurt, and aircraft damage was minor. Weather for the night landing and VMC prevailed. N3236V (E-2271) is a 1985 A36 registered since 1988 to a Wichita-based corporation. ( Gear up landing ; Night a knowledgeable reader reports this was a classic oops, I forgot gear-up landing. The airplane has very minor damage except for the propeller and required engine tear-down inspection, and will fly again.) 12/21 1130Z (0630 local): During a maintenance check, [the] left engine [of a Be60] caught fire, at Apopka, Florida. Damage was minor and the lone person aboard was unhurt. Weather was not reported. N104JT (P-143) is a 1970 A60 registered since 2004 to a co-ownership in Longwood, Florida. ( Engine fire during ground run ) UPDATES FROM NTSB Events previously appearing in the Weekly Accident Update: **12/6 V35 hard landing with airframe ice at Dodge City, KS. The pilot stated he encountered icing conditions and diverted to DDC. Before reaching DDC the airplane airspeed indicator stopped working.
While over the runway on landing approach the airplane fell straight down. Examination of the airplane revealed all three landing gear had collapsed and the wing spars were bent. There was ice on the surfaces of the airplane and on the ground near the impact point. Initial post-accident inspection of the pitot heat system showed the pitot heat switch was in the on position, ice was found in the pitot tube, but no heat was detected at the pitot tube when power was applied to the airplane. ** **12/9 fatal A36 crash on approach at Eagle Pass, TX. The airplane either descended below minimums into obstacles under control, or the pilot lost control and the airplane descended more or less straight ahead into obstructions. From the report: All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the scene. The airplane came to rest inverted on a heading of approximately 018 degrees, and about 750 feet east of runway 31. The wreckage path started near the first impact point, which was the top of a fence post. Several fence poles, along the double row wire fence, had either impact damage or were knocked down. About a 5-foot section of the right wing was located along the wreckage path near the second fence pole. A post crash fire consumed much of the cabin area; major components of the wreckage consisted of the engine, the empennage, pieces of the wings, and the burnt fuselage. A preliminary review of radar data revealed the airplane was conducting an approach to runway 31 and descending. ** SUMMARY: Reported Hawker Beechcraft piston mishaps, year-to-date 2009: Total reported: 176 reports Operation in VMC: 116 reports Operation in IMC: 6 reports Weather unknown or not reported : 53 reports Operation at night: 14 reports Surface wind > 15 knots: 18 reports Fatal accidents: 20 reports Serious injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 7 reports Substantial damage: 64 reports Aircraft destroyed : 18 reports Recent registration (within previous 12 months): 25 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 48 reports Be35 Bonanza 43 reports Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 20 reports Be58 Baron 13 reports Be55 Baron 10 reports Be24 Sierra 9 reports Be76 Duchess 7 reports Be18 Twin Beech 5 reports
Be19 Sport 5 reports Be60 Duke 6 reports Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner 3 reports Be50 Twin Bonanza 3 reports Be17 Staggerwing 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 (73 reports) Gear up landing 29 reports (two Be24s; two Be33s; twelve Be35s; eight Be36s; Be50; Be56; Be58; Be60; Be76) Gear collapse (landing) 23 reports (two Be24s; four Be33s; three Be35s; three Be36s; two Be50s; four Be55s; three Be58s; two Be76s) Failure of landing gear to extend due to mechanical failure 5 reports (Be24; Be33; Be36; 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 3 reports (two Be35s; 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 (35 reports)
Engine failure in flight 12 reports (Be18; two Be19s; two Be33s; 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) Engine fire during ground run 1 report (Be60) IMPACT ON LANDING (29 reports) Loss of directional control on landing 8 reports (Be18; Be19; Be23; 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 (13 reports) Taxied into obstacle 4 reports(be35; Be36; Be58; Be60) 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 (11 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 report (Be76) Approach/unknown 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!