What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 13, 2018, about 1315 eastern daylight time, a Beechcraft bonanza, N9496Q, was substantially damaged after it struck a taxiway sign during a routine landing at the Reidsville regional airport, Georgia (krvj). The private pilot sustained no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from the klhw, wright army airfield, hinesville, Georgia. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91.
The pilot reported an uneventful approach as he touched down on runway 29L on the main gear approximately 750 feet from the threshold and slightly left of the centerline at approximately 65 knots. As soon as he lowered the nose gear to the runway, he felt the aircraft lurch uncharacteristically left and then right. He attempted to arrest the movement first with rudder inputs, then by differential braking. The aircraft did not respond and started to veer uncontrollably to the right. Next, he intentionally increased braking until both wheels eventually started skidding. At this point, the aircraft was skidding sideways as it departed the runway unto the grass median. As the aircraft continued to slide sideways, the extreme force on the left main landing gear caused it to collapse followed by the nose landing gear collapsing as it struck a taxiway marker.
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the left-wing tip was crushed, and the main spar was damaged. The nose and main landing gear was substantially damaged as it caused structural damage to the airframe attach points. The propeller displayed minor damage, as it appeared that the aircraft was no longer making power on impact.
A continuity check of the nose landing gear system to include all linkage from the rudder pedals to the rudder flight control was performed and no discrepancies were noted. A further examination of the nose wheel well area revealed no visible sign of premature component failure.
An examination of the runway confirmed that the aircraft touched down at approximately 750 feet from the threshold evident by the tire marks. Shortly after the main tires touch, you can see visible nose tire marks that appear to run straight without any wobbling deviations. Further, down the runway as the aircraft began to lose control you can see main tire skid marks as extreme braking was applied. These skid marks continue to the right of the runway onto the grassy median where the aircraft came to rest.
According to federal aviation administration (FAA) records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, and instrument airplane. He held an FAA third-class medical certificate issued may 22, 2018. At the time of the medical examination, the pilot reported 534 total hours of flight experience. The pilots last CFI check ride occurred on July 6, 2018.
The airplane was issued an airworthiness certificate on March 1, 1972. According to the FAA type certificate data sheet for the Beechcraft bonanza F33A, the airplane was equipped with an IO-520 series Continental engine. Maintenance records showed that the last annual for the airframe, engine and propeller was performed on September 3, 2018. At the time of the inspection the aircraft had accumulated 4033.2 ttaf
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 13, 2018, ABOUT 1315 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECHCRAFT BONANZA, N9496Q, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER IT STRUCK A TAXIWAY SIGN DURING A ROUTINE LANDING AT THE REIDSVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT, GEORGIA (KRVJ). THE PRIVATE PILOT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM THE KLHW, WRIGHT ARMY AIRFIELD, HINESVILLE, GEORGIA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.
THE PILOT REPORTED AN UNEVENTFUL APPROACH AS HE TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 29L ON THE MAIN GEAR APPROXIMATELY 750 FEET FROM THE THRESHOLD AND SLIGHTLY LEFT OF THE CENTERLINE AT APPROXIMATELY 65 KNOTS. AS SOON AS HE LOWERED THE NOSE GEAR TO THE RUNWAY, HE FELT THE AIRCRAFT LURCH UNCHARACTERISTICALLY LEFT AND THEN RIGHT. HE ATTEMPTED TO ARREST THE MOVEMENT FIRST WITH RUDDER INPUTS, THEN BY DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RESPOND AND STARTED TO VEER UNCONTROLLABLY TO THE RIGHT. NEXT, HE INTENTIONALLY INCREASED BRAKING UNTIL BOTH WHEELS EVENTUALLY STARTED SKIDDING. AT THIS POINT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS SKIDDING SIDEWAYS AS IT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY UNTO THE GRASS MEDIAN. AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SLIDE SIDEWAYS, THE EXTREME FORCE ON THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR CAUSED IT TO COLLAPSE FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSING AS IT STRUCK A TAXIWAY MARKER.
EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE LEFT-WING TIP WAS CRUSHED, AND THE MAIN SPAR WAS DAMAGED. THE NOSE AND MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AS IT CAUSED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME ATTACH POINTS. THE PROPELLER DISPLAYED MINOR DAMAGE, AS IT APPEARED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NO LONGER MAKING POWER ON IMPACT.
A CONTINUITY CHECK OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM TO INCLUDE ALL LINKAGE FROM THE RUDDER PEDALS TO THE RUDDER FLIGHT CONTROL WAS PERFORMED AND NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. A FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE NOSE WHEEL WELL AREA REVEALED NO VISIBLE SIGN OF PREMATURE COMPONENT FAILURE.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE RUNWAY CONFIRMED THAT THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 750 FEET FROM THE THRESHOLD EVIDENT BY THE TIRE MARKS. SHORTLY AFTER THE MAIN TIRES TOUCH, YOU CAN SEE VISIBLE NOSE TIRE MARKS THAT APPEAR TO RUN STRAIGHT WITHOUT ANY WOBBLING DEVIATIONS. FURTHER, DOWN THE RUNWAY AS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO LOSE CONTROL YOU CAN SEE MAIN TIRE SKID MARKS AS EXTREME BRAKING WAS APPLIED. THESE SKID MARKS CONTINUE TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY ONTO THE GRASSY MEDIAN WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST.
ACCORDING TO FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) RECORDS, THE PILOT HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH RATINGS FOR AIRPLANE SINGLE-ENGINE LAND, AND INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE. HE HELD AN FAA THIRD-CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE ISSUED MAY 22, 2018. AT THE TIME OF THE MEDICAL EXAMINATION, THE PILOT REPORTED 534 TOTAL HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE. THE PILOTS LAST CFI CHECK RIDE OCCURRED ON JULY 6, 2018.
THE AIRPLANE WAS ISSUED AN AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE ON MARCH 1, 1972. ACCORDING TO THE FAA TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET FOR THE BEECHCRAFT BONANZA F33A, THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN IO-520 SERIES CONTINENTAL ENGINE. MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOWED THAT THE LAST ANNUAL FOR THE AIRFRAME, ENGINE AND PROPELLER WAS PERFORMED ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2018. AT THE TIME OF THE INSPECTION THE AIRCRAFT HAD ACCUMULATED 4033.2 TTAF
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.