What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On 2/09/ 2001 at 1412 hours pacific standard time, a Beech A36, N3191A, sustained substantial damage when the left wing struck the ground during an attempted go-around at Palo Alto, California airport. The airplane was owned and operated under the provisions of CFR 14 part 91 by the private pilot who was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which originated from Palo Alto at apprx. 1400. The pilot was interviewed by national transportation safety board investigators. He stated this was his first solo flight in the airplane and his intention was to practice takeoffs and landings. He extended downwind for spacing on a slower airplane and does not recall checking the position of the flaps. The final approach was stable at 80 knots but when he was about 10 feet off the ground he sensed the airplane was sinking faster than normal and elected to go around. He added power but did not feel the engine respond. The airplane veered left and the left wing struck the ground, the elft gear was sheared off, and the propeller was torn off the engine. The pilot said that after examining the airplane the flaps the pilot stated the airplane was equipped with an allis on 250-17 turboprop engine, and that he had purchased it in August 2000. He had received dual isntruction in the airplane but his insurance carrier required he hold an instrument rating prior to acting as pilot-in-command. His instrument rating was received February 7, 2001. (-23)N3191A was attempting to land on runway 30 at pao. During the flare, the pilot felt the sink rate was too high, and he applied power to go-around. The aircraft veered to the left. The pilot straightened the flight path over the parallel taxiway at about 40 feet AGL, but the pilot reported seeing the propeller spinning slower than expected. The aircraft mushed-nose low-into the grass between the taxiway and the runway. The propeller and gearbox were ripped off the aircraft, the nose gear and left main gear were damaged, and both wings were damaged. The propeller blades were found in the feathered position. The pilot was not injured. Investigation revealed that the aircraft had sufficient fuel on board, and there was no water drained from the fuel tank sumps. The propeller beta control rod was found disconnecte d with no safety wire attached to the securing nut. This would have caused a loss of oil pressure causing the blades to feather.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON 2/09/ 2001 AT 1412 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A BEECH A36, N3191A, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND DURING AN ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND AT PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF CFR 14 PART 91 BY THE PRIVATE PILOT WHO WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH ORIGINATED FROM PALO ALTO AT APPRX. 1400. THE PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED BY NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATORS. HE STATED THIS WAS HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT IN THE AIRPLANE AND HIS INTENTION WAS TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. HE EXTENDED DOWNWIND FOR SPACING ON A SLOWER AIRPLANE AND DOES NOT RECALL CHECKING THE POSITION OF THE FLAPS. THE FINAL APPROACH WAS STABLE AT 80 KNOTS BUT WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 10 FEET OFF THE GROUND HE SENSED THE AIRPLANE WAS SINKING FASTER THAN NORMAL AND ELECTED TO GO AROUND. HE ADDED POWER BUT DID NOT FEEL THE ENGINE RESPOND. THE AIRPLANE VEERED LEFT AND THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND, THE ELFT GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF, AND THE PROPELLER WAS TORN OFF THE ENGINE. THE PILOT SAID THAT AFTER EXAMINING THE AIRPLANE THE FLAPS THE PILOT STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN ALLIS ON 250-17 TURBOPROP ENGINE, AND THAT HE HAD PURCHASED IT IN AUGUST 2000. HE HAD RECEIVED DUAL ISNTRUCTION IN THE AIRPLANE BUT HIS INSURANCE CARRIER REQUIRED HE HOLD AN INSTRUMENT RATING PRIOR TO ACTING AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND. HIS INSTRUMENT RATING WAS RECEIVED FEBRUARY 7, 2001. (-23)N3191A WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 30 AT PAO. DURING THE FLARE, THE PILOT FELT THE SINK RATE WAS TOO HIGH, AND HE APPLIED POWER TO GO-AROUND. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT STRAIGHTENED THE FLIGHT PATH OVER THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY AT ABOUT 40 FEET AGL, BUT THE PILOT REPORTED SEEING THE PROPELLER SPINNING SLOWER THAN EXPECTED. THE AIRCRAFT MUSHED-NOSE LOW-INTO THE GRASS BETWEEN THE TAXIWAY AND THE RUNWAY. THE PROPELLER AND GEARBOX WERE RIPPED OFF THE AIRCRAFT, THE NOSE GEAR AND LEFT MAIN GEAR WERE DAMAGED, AND BOTH WINGS WERE DAMAGED. THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE FOUND IN THE FEATHERED POSITION. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL ON BOARD, AND THERE WAS NO WATER DRAINED FROM THE FUEL TANK SUMPS. THE PROPELLER BETA CONTROL ROD WAS FOUND DISCONNECTE D WITH NO SAFETY WIRE ATTACHED TO THE SECURING NUT. THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE CAUSING THE BLADES TO FEATHER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.