Piston Beech Accidents 2/10/2012 through 2/15/2012
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. © 2012 Mastery Flight Training, Inc. All Rights Reserved
THE WEEKLY ACCIDENT UPDATE IS AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCT OF MASTERY FLIGHT
TRAINING, INC.
New reports this week
2/14 1645Z (1145 local): A Be58 "went off the end of the runway" while landing at Rogersville, Tennessee. Two aboard the Baron were unhurt and there is no reported damage. Weather: not reported. N79AP (TJ-206) is a 1979 58P registered in Knoxville, Tennessee.
("Runway overrun"--evidently at slow enough speed there was no damage. Hydroplaning? Just landed long? The 58P is heavy and has a much higher landing speed than other Barons, meaning it is no short-field performer like some of its normally aspirated brethren. It's higher-pressure tires are just about at their hydroplaning speed on a normal landing.)
2/14 2136Z (1336 local): A Be18 "crashed on takeoff" at Hollister, California. Two aboard the Twin Beech escaped injury despite "substantial" damage. Weather conditions were not reported. VH-NWB is/was an Australian-registered Twin Beech, serial number unknown.
("Loss of directional control on takeoff [from local reports]"; "Substantial damage"--local news reports that "A pilot had quite a scare Tuesday when he lost control of his aircraft upon takeoff and crashed into a field.The incident happened around 1:36 p.m. Officials at Hollister Airport say the pilot of a two engine Beech Aircraft lost control upon takeoff for an unknown reason. It is unclear if the aircraft was ever airborne before it crashed into a ditch on Hollister Airport's grounds. The only other person onboard the aircraft was a mechanic, assisting the pilot. Both individuals sustained no injuries. The plane sustained major damage after it's landing gear completely collapsed."
New NTSB reports this
week
Events previously reported in the Weekly Accident Update
1/7 58P gear up landing at Santa Ana, CA. From the report:
According to the pilot, the twin-engine airplane was based at Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), Santa Barbara, California. The intended destination was SNA, and the pilot planned to overfly Catalina Island en route. The airplane was equipped with one alternator per engine, and a loadmeter and annunciator light for each alternator. When the airplane was in the vicinity of Catalina, the two "ALT" annunciator lights on the instrument panel illuminated, and the loadmeters indicated that the alternators were not providing electrical power to the airplane. The pilot powered off some electrical equipment, and ran his hand across the circuit breaker panel to ensure all breakers were in; he did not notice any breakers that were out. He then recycled both alternator switches; the ALT lights extinguished, and all other indications returned to normal. The pilot did not know the underlying reason for the problem, and was concerned, since nightfall was approaching. He then headed for SNA. On final approach, he deployed flaps and landing gear, and did not notice anything unusual until he was on short final, when he observed that none of the three green landing position annunciation lights were illuminated. He communicated this information to the air traffic control tower controller, conducted a go-around, circled back, and landed [gear up].
I have commentary on the general lessons suggested by this event in this week's FLYING LESSONS Weekly report.
SUMMARY: Reported Hawker Beechcraft
piston mishaps, 2012:
Total reported: 14 reports
Environment
Operation in VMC: 7 reports
Operation in IMC: 1 report
Weather “unknown” or
“not reported”: 6 reports
Operation at night: 0 reports
Surface wind > 15 knots: 0 reports
Injuries
Fatal accidents: 1 report
“Serious” injury accidents (not involving fatalities): 0 reports
Aircraft damage
“Substantial” damage: 1 report
Aircraft “destroyed”: 1 report
Other factors
FAA's new aircraft triennial registration
rule means it is impossible to tell whether an airplane registration was
because of a change in ownership or simply compliance with the new regulation.
Consequently we will no longer track the number of mishaps that occur in
the first year of registered ownership. Over 12 years of the Weekly
Accident Update has shown that, consistently, about 20% of all piston
Beechcraft accidents happen in the first year of ownership.
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
Be58 Baron 4 reports
Be35 Bonanza 3 reports
Be36 Bonanza 2 reports
Be18 Twin Beech 1 report
Be19 Sport 1 report
Be23 Musketeer/Sundowner/Custom 1 report
Be33 Debonair/Bonanza 1 report
Be76 Duchess 1 report
Be17 Staggerwing 0 reports
Be24 Sierra 0 reports
Be45 (T-34) Mentor 0 reports
Be50 Twin Bonanza 0 report
Be55 Baron 0 reports
Be56 Turbo Baron 0 reports
Be60 Duke 0 reports
Be65 Queen Air 0 reports
Be77 Skipper 0 reports
PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION
OF CAUSE
(all subject to update per NTSB findings):
Landing gear-related mishaps (6 reports)
Gear up landing
3 reports (Be33; Be35s; Be58)
Gear collapse on landing
2 reports (Be58; Be76)
Landing with partially extended gear/known mechanical failure
1 report (Be35)
Miscellaneous (2 reports)
Taxiway excursion
1 report (Be36)
Impact on landing (3 reports)
2 reports (Be35; Be58)
Runway overrun
1 report (Be58)
Engine failure (1 report)
Engine failure in flight
1 report (Be23)
Loss of control--attempted visual flight in IMC
1 report (Be36)
1 report (Be18)
Controlled flight into terrain (0 reports)
Impact on takeoff (0 reports)
Stall/Spin (0 reports)
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.
Flying has risks. Choose wisely.