Mastery Flight Training

Mastery Flight Training, Inc. Beech Weekly Accident Update archives

August 2004 Reports

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 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. Please accept my sincere personal condolences if anyone you know was in a mishap. I welcome your comments, suggestions and criticisms. Fly safe, and have fun!

8/2/04 Report

Beechcraft Piston Aircraft Accidents posted 7/23/04 through 8/2/04

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 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.**

UPDATE

RE: last update’s report “7/19 1121Z (0721 local): A Be58 landed gear up at Valdosta, Georgia….” The pilot-in-command, a WAU reader, kindly offers the following account: “We had a normal lift off and retracted the gear on climb out. At the end of the cycle I heard a loud noise. I called the tower and asked if he saw anything unusual, he responded yes, he was fixing to call me that the nose gear did not retract and was moving back and forth in the slip stream. We climbed to pattern altitude and went through the emergency procedures in the POH. Decided to try letting the gear down, moved the gear lever down and the mains came down normally with two green lights, but no nose light. Proceeded to land, expecting the nose gear to collapse when weight got on it. On short final when the field was made, I pulled the mixture and prop levers back to feather the engines. Both engines stopped before touchdown. I held the nose off as long as possible, and when it settled the nose gear collapsed. We slid straight on the runway and came to a stop. Exited the plane and no fire. The problem is the nose gear retract rod front end bearing broke, releasing the nose gear. The plane has 3823 total time.” Thanks, reader, for this reminder to all to more closely inspect what has become a fairly common mechanical cause of landing gear-related mishaps.

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

6/30 2130Z (1730 local): A Be24’s nose gear collapsed on landing at Ely, Minnesota. The solo pilot was not hurt and damage is “minor.” Weather was 6000 scattered, visibility 10 with surface winds at seven gusting to 16 knots, variable from 290 to 360 degrees. N8043R is a 1970 A24R registered since 2000 to a corporation in Rochester, Minnesota.

(“Gear collapse--landing”)

7/24 0045Z (1745 local 7/23/04): A Be55 “landed with gear retracted and (slid) off the runway,” during a local flight at Minden-Tahoe Airport, Minden, Nevada. The solo pilot escaped injury despite “substantial” aircraft damage. Weather was “clear and 10” with a four-knot breeze. N88CS is a 1964 B55 recently (May 2004) registered to an individual in Moreno Valley, California.

(“Gear up landing”; “Substantial damage”; “Recent registration”)

7/24 1800Z (1200 local): A Be58, departing Fort Collins, Colorado for Omaha, Nebraska with three aboard, “experienced mechanical difficulty” and crashed into a residential area of Fort Collins. The three aboard died and the P-Baron was “destroyed” in a post-crash fire. There were no injuries and damage only to one vehicle on the ground. Witnesses described the engines as “sputtering” and one as “stopped;” the final descent was reported as a “flat spin.” Weather: 11,000 broken, 19,000 broken, visibility 10 miles with a nine-knot wind. N69CL was a 1984 58P registered since May 2003 to a Dover, Delaware corporation.

(“Engine failure in flight”; “Fatal”; “Aircraft destroyed”)

7/25 1720Z (1220 local): A Be17 “struck a (runway) light” and suffered “minor” damage while landing on Runway 36L at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The three aboard were not hurt. Weather was “clear and 10” with a variable, six-knot wind. N9290H is a 1944D17S registered since 1994 to a corporation in Brighton, Colorado.

(“Impact with obstacle during normal landing”—I’ve flown in this airplane, a beautifully restored example of the Staggerwing, at last fall’s Beech Party at Tullahoma. Sources in the EAA’s Emergency Aircraft Repair facility tell me fabric on the underside of the big biplane’s lower wing was pieced and there was some damage to the lower wing’s aft spar. FAA-compliant temporary repairs have been made so the airplane can be ferried home for a permanent fix)

7/30 0130Z (2130 local 7/29/04): During a local flight at dusk the pilot of a Be36 “retracted the (landing) gear instead of the flaps (while) on the taxiway,” at Carroll, Iowa. The solo pilot was not hurt and damage is “minor.” Weather: “clear and 10” with a four-knot breeze. N3028W is a 1973 A36 registered since 1985 to an individual in Carroll, Iowa.

(“Gear collapse during taxi”)

NEW NTSB PRELIMINARY REPORTS: All previously reported in the Weekly Accident Update, and subject to update per NTSB findings.

**7/11 Travel Air double-fatality crash at Atlantic City, New Jersey. The position of the fuel selector valve appears to confirm the local report of a stall/spin during an attempted single-engine go-around.

http://www2.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20040726X01059&key=1 **

**7/17 triple-fatality Be58 impact with a glacier near Bishop, California. Change “Crash/Unknown” to “Controlled flight into terrain-- Loss of visual reference between overcast and indistinct surface” and remove “Night.” It appears that the pilot may have lost visual reference between a cloud deck above and the indistinct glacier below.

http://www2.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20040723X01052&key=1 **

**7/18 quadruple-fatality B36TC thunderstorm penetration at Sylvester, Georgia.

http://www2.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20040723X01050&key=1 **

**7/23 Be55 gear up landing during a post-maintenance test flight at Minden, Nevada, cited above.

http://www2.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20040729X01109&key=1 **

**7/23 triple-fatality 58P flat spin at Fort Collins, Colorado, cited above.

http://www2.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20040730X01111&key=1 **

8/26/04 Report

Beechcraft Piston Aircraft Accidents posted 8/3/04 through 8/26/04

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.

**THE WEEKLY ACCIDENT UPDATE IS AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCT OF MASTERY FLIGHT TRAINING, INC.**

NEW REPORTS THIS WEEK

8/1 2022Z (1522 local time): A Chilean Be36 impacted terrain on landing during an attempted visual flight in instrument meteorological conditions, at San Carlos de Apoquindo, Santiago de Chile, Chile. Despite a “destroyed” airplane the pilot and two passengers report no injuries. “Information released by the Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil of Chile states the pilot was on final approach to the airport with the aid of a GPS and the airport's localizer. The pilot became disorientated, which resulted in the airplane impacting terrain before reaching the airport. The pilot and passenger were able to exit before fire ensued the airplane. One of the occupants was able to call authorities by mobile phone, which launched the rescue operation.” The aircraft’s registration was CC-PDL.

(“Disorientation during attempted visual approach in IMC”; “Aircraft destroyed”; “IMC”)

8/13 0135Z (1935 local 8/12/04): “On departure roll,” a Be35’s “landing gear collapsed,” at Big Springs Private Strip, Paulden, Arizona. The solo pilot reports no injury and damage was “minor.” Weather was “not reported.” N580B is a 1948 A35 registered since 1999 to an individual in Paulden.

(“Gear collapse on takeoff”—possibly misrigged or overstressed landing gear, or improper pilot action?)

8/14 1621Z (1021 local): A Be33 landed on Tucson, Arizona’s Runway 11R “without landing gear extended.” The result was “minor” damage to the airplane although the two on board were not hurt. The “pleasure” flight originated at Goodyear, Arizona. Weather at Tucson: 9500 scattered, visibility 10, with surface winds from 110 degrees at five knots. N5581T is a 1989 F33A registered since 1999 to an airline training program in Goodyear.

(“Gear up landing”; “Dual instruction”)

8/15 2028Z (1528 local): A Be35 “landed short near (the) approach end of Runway 12 at Highway 12 bridge,” after a loss of engine power on the downwind leg at Anderson, Indiana. The pilot reported “minor” injuries while aircraft damage is “substantial.” Weather for the local flight was clear, visibility 10, with winds from 120 degrees at six knots. N6411S is a 1975 V35B registered since 1995 to an individual in Indianapolis, Indiana.

(“Engine failure on approach/landing”; “Substantial damage”)

8/21 0230Z (2230 local 8/20/04): A deer ran in front of a Be58 during the Baron’s landing roll, at Groveton, Texas. “The aircraft left the runway, went into a ravine and was consumed by fire.” The solo pilot escaped unhurt although the Baron was “destroyed.” Weather: 6000 scattered, 8000 scattered, visibility 10 with a seven-knot surface wind. N8140R was a 1974 58 registered since 2002 to an individual in Hockley, Texas.

(“Runway excursion on landing—attempting to avoid animal on runway”; “Aircraft destroyed”; “Night”)

8/20 1310Z (0710 local): A Be55 was departing Roosevelt, UT when one engine “lost fuel pressure.” The pilot “tried to adjust mixture and attempted to return” to the airport. The Baron “landed in a field 4-5 miles southwest of Roosevelt Airport” and “hit trees upon landing.” The solo pilot suffered “minor” injuries and the airplane was “destroyed.” Weather: “clear and 10” with a four-knot breeze, ambient temperature +11C. N120F was a 1964 B55 registered since 1987 to a corporation in Roosevelt.

(“Engine failure on takeoff”; “Aircraft destroyed”—Roosevelt Airport is at an elevation of 5172 MSL. Under the conditions of this mishap, assuming a typical Be55 empty weight, full fuel and one occupant, the airplane should have been capable of about 150-200 fpm climb rate straight ahead at “blue line” speed with the inoperative engine feathered. Entering a half-standard rate turn [from my experience] at “blue line” results in a roughly 300-400 fpm reduction in climb performance, or a significant descent in this case. Delaying feathering the propeller would result in far less climb capability both straight ahead and in the turn. Following an engine failure on takeoff in a twin it may be necessary to climb straight ahead for several miles before attempting a turn back to the airport. Another airport nearly straight ahead may better serve as a “departure alternate.” If terrain is an issue [quite possible in Utah] the pilot of a twin may have to decide before takeoff from an airport near the airplane’s single-engine service ceiling, that the only recourse is to throttle back on the good engine and land roughly straight ahead—accepting the same risk at those density altitudes as a single-engine pilot at all airports.)

8/24 2129Z (1629 local): A Be23 “experienced engine failure” five miles from its departure point of Shreveport, Louisiana. Three aboard the airplane suffered “minor” injuries and the Beechcraft was “destroyed” when it “crashed in a wooded area.” Weather: 4000 scattered, visibility 10, winds at 12 gusting to 17 knots. N9714Q was a 1971 C23 registered since 2002 to an individual in Shreveport.

(“Engine failure in flight”; “Aircraft destroyed”)

NEW NTSB PRELIMINARY REPORTS: All previously reported in the Weekly Accident Update, and subject to update per NTSB findings.

**8/1 Chilean A36 disorientation during attempted visual approach in IMC, cited above. http://www2.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?ev_id=20040816X01222&ntsbno=MIA04WA112&akey=1 **

**8/15 V35B engine failure on downwind, at Anderson, Indiana, cited above. http://www2.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20040817X01233&key=1 **

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