What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The airplane departed from runway 14 at Hicks Airfield (T67) about 0850 CDT on October 26, 2011. The private pilot was receiving multiengine instruction in a Beech model 76 (duchess). On take-off, after climbing through 500 feet AGL, the flight instructor pulled back the throttle on the right engine. The private pilot described the procedures he was supposed to accomplish and said the flight instructor would normally stop him from actually feathering the engine. According to the private pilot, the flight instructor did not accomplish those tasks in time and the right engine inadvertently shut down and the propeller feathered. Attempts to unfeather the propeller and restart the right engine were not successful the private pilot said the airplane was about 1000 feet AGL and approximately 120 knots preparing for an actual one engine inoperative (oei) landing on runway 14. The flight instructor told the private pilot that if they landed on runway 14 then they would have to get a tug to taxi them back to the hangar, but if they landed on 32, then they could just taxi in. The flight instructor then took over the controls and commenced a turn to set up for a downwind landing on runway 32. The private pilot recalls the airplane could not maintain altitude or airspeed. He called out altitudes and speeds to the flight instructor until about 200 feet AGL and 70 knots. The private pilot remembers the airplane slowed below 65 knots and then suddenly banked to the right, impacting the ground with the right wing tip at approximately 30 degrees right wing down and 30 degrees nose down. On impact the right wing separated, there was a flash of fire, and the airplane slid around tail first before coming to rest upright. The seriously injured private pilot rolled out through the left cockpit door and crawled under the tail to clear the fire. He could not walk due to a broken hip. The observer passenger in the back right seat said the airplane was on fire when she leaned over the conscious, but seriously injured, flight instructor, unbelted him and talked him into helping her drag him out of the open right cockpit door. The seriously injured observer passenger was able to drag the flight instructor about 15 feet from the burning airplane.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 14 AT HICKS AIRFIELD (T67) ABOUT 0850 CDT ON OCTOBER 26, 2011. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS RECEIVING MULTIENGINE INSTRUCTION IN A BEECH MODEL 76 (DUCHESS). ON TAKE-OFF, AFTER CLIMBING THROUGH 500 FEET AGL, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PULLED BACK THE THROTTLE ON THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE PRIVATE PILOT DESCRIBED THE PROCEDURES HE WAS SUPPOSED TO ACCOMPLISH AND SAID THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WOULD NORMALLY STOP HIM FROM ACTUALLY FEATHERING THE ENGINE. ACCORDING TO THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR DID NOT ACCOMPLISH THOSE TASKS IN TIME AND THE RIGHT ENGINE INADVERTENTLY SHUT DOWN AND THE PROPELLER FEATHERED. ATTEMPTS TO UNFEATHER THE PROPELLER AND RESTART THE RIGHT ENGINE WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL THE PRIVATE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 1000 FEET AGL AND APPROXIMATELY 120 KNOTS PREPARING FOR AN ACTUAL ONE ENGINE INOPERATIVE (OEI) LANDING ON RUNWAY 14. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOLD THE PRIVATE PILOT THAT IF THEY LANDED ON RUNWAY 14 THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO GET A TUG TO TAXI THEM BACK TO THE HANGAR, BUT IF THEY LANDED ON 32, THEN THEY COULD JUST TAXI IN. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR THEN TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS AND COMMENCED A TURN TO SET UP FOR A DOWNWIND LANDING ON RUNWAY 32. THE PRIVATE PILOT RECALLS THE AIRPLANE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED. HE CALLED OUT ALTITUDES AND SPEEDS TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR UNTIL ABOUT 200 FEET AGL AND 70 KNOTS. THE PRIVATE PILOT REMEMBERS THE AIRPLANE SLOWED BELOW 65 KNOTS AND THEN SUDDENLY BANKED TO THE RIGHT, IMPACTING THE GROUND WITH THE RIGHT WING TIP AT APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES RIGHT WING DOWN AND 30 DEGREES NOSE DOWN. ON IMPACT THE RIGHT WING SEPARATED, THERE WAS A FLASH OF FIRE, AND THE AIRPLANE SLID AROUND TAIL FIRST BEFORE COMING TO REST UPRIGHT. THE SERIOUSLY INJURED PRIVATE PILOT ROLLED OUT THROUGH THE LEFT COCKPIT DOOR AND CRAWLED UNDER THE TAIL TO CLEAR THE FIRE. HE COULD NOT WALK DUE TO A BROKEN HIP. THE OBSERVER PASSENGER IN THE BACK RIGHT SEAT SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS ON FIRE WHEN SHE LEANED OVER THE CONSCIOUS, BUT SERIOUSLY INJURED, FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, UNBELTED HIM AND TALKED HIM INTO HELPING HER DRAG HIM OUT OF THE OPEN RIGHT COCKPIT DOOR. THE SERIOUSLY INJURED OBSERVER PASSENGER WAS ABLE TO DRAG THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ABOUT 15 FEET FROM THE BURNING AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N6018U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.