20190704009139A

ON JULY 4, 2019 AT ABOUT 13:55 CDT (1855 UTC), A BEECHCRAFT MUSKETEER AIRPLANE (BE-B23), FAA REGISTRATION N7618R, IMPACTED TERRAIN NEAR VAIDEN, MISSISSIPPI. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC), A PRIVATE PILOT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL INJURIES. THE THREE PASSENGERS ALL SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO A ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (THE PILOT) AND WAS OPERATED AS A 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT AND ACCIDENT AND THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN BEING FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM WINONA-MONTGOMERY COUNTY AIRPORT (5A6), MISSISSIPPI, AT AROUND 1330 AND WAS DESTINED FOR MITCHELL?S AIRPORT, MS (3MS5) THE AIRCRAFT OWNERS PRIVATE GRASS STRIP.

THE PIC STATED THEY BOUGHT 22-23 GALLONS OF FUEL AND DEPARTED WINONA AIRPORT AROUND 1330. THEY FLEW FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES AROUND THE LOCAL AREA ON A VFR SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT. THE PILOT THEN ENTERED A NORMAL LEFT HAND VFR PATTERN (AT HIS AIRPORT) FOR THE NORTH RUNWAY (APPROXIMATELY 355 FOR THE RUNWAY HEADING). THE ASOS AT THE WINONA AIRPORT (APPROXIMATELY 11 MILES AWAY) WAS: K5A6 041855Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM SCT037 SCT043 SCT055 25/23 A3005 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT SE T02500226. THE PILOT CONFIGURED THE AIRCRAFT NORMALLY FOR THE VFR APPROACH (CARB HEAT ON AND FULL FLAPS). ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS FAST ON FINAL (APPROXIMATELY 80KTS) AND THE AIRCRAFT FLOATED DOWN THE RUNWAY WITHOUT TOUCHING DOWN (HOWEVER THE PASSENGER DID INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT DID TOUCH DOWN ON THE RUNWAY). AT APPROXIMATELY HALF-WAY DOWN THE 2,500 FT GRASS STRIP, THE PILOT INITIATED A BALKED LANDING/GO-AROUND. THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE RESPONDED NORMALLY AND WAS PRODUCING POWER BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT CLIMBING NORMALLY. HE FURTHER STATED HE LEFT THE FLAPS IN THE ?FULL-FLAPS DOWN? POSITION DURING THE GO-AROUND. SHORTLY AFTER INITIATING THE GO-AROUND THE PILOT REALIZED THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT GOING TO CLEAR THE RISING TERRAIN/TREES AND HE BEGAN TO ?PULL BACK? ON THE CONTROLS TO GET THE AIRCRAFT TO CLIMB MORE. AT SOME POINT, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A STALL (TO THE RIGHT) THE PILOT COUNTERED WITH LEFT AILERON. THE PILOT REALIZED THE AIRCRAFT WAS STALLING AT THIS POINT AND ?RELAXED? HIS BACK PRESSURE LOWERING THE NOSE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED THE RISING TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 330 FEET FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY AND SLIGHTLY RIGHT OF CENTERLINE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED ON AN INITIAL HEADING OF 030, NOSE LOW AND NEAR WINGS LEVEL. THE INITIAL IMPACT SHEARED OFF THE NOSE GEAR AND LEFT MAIN GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED SLIGHTLY (AND SPUN COUNTER-CLOCKWISE) COMING TO REST APPROXIMATELY 45 FEET FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT FACING 270 DEGREES. THE IMPACT MARKS INDICATE A RELATIVELY SHALLOW ANGLE AND LOW VELOCITY IMPACT.

BASED UPON POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND INTERVIEWS WITH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OR INDICATION OF A PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL FAILURE WITH THE AIRCRAFT.

THE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE PIC MISJUDGED THE SHORT FIELD APPROACH (2,500 FT FIELD LENGTH) AND CARRIED EXCESSIVE SPEED ON FINAL APPROACH. THIS RESULTED IN A LONG (AND PROBABLY FAST) LANDING. THE PILOT REALIZED THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT BE STOPPED IN THE REMAINING RUNWAY AND INITIATED A GO-AROUND. DURING THE UNPLANNED GO-AROUND, THE HEAVILY LOADED AIRCRAFT COUPLED WITH THE HIGH-DENSITY ALTITUDE (1770 FEET) AND FULL FLAPS EXTENDED RESULTED IN MARGINAL CLIMB PERFORMANCE. IN THE FACE OF RISING TERRAIN, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE THE CLIMB RATE BY ?PULLING BACK? ON THE ELEVATOR CONTROL WITH A RESULTING AERODYNAMIC STALL AND LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL.