- Date
- August 28, 1994, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Felton, DE
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1462LBeech A-23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940828047009A
- Case key
- 8977
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing and failure to maintain directional control. A factor is the pilot's failure to do a go around.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he touched down just passed the 1/2 the distance of the 3,300-foot-long runway. He stated the airplane bounced up into the air and he decided to abort the landing. He stated he applied full power and a moment later the airplane encountered a 'windshear' and it descended to the runway. The airplane contacted the runway and then veered off the side of the runway into a soy bean field. While rolling through the soy bean field, the nose gear and right main gear collapsed. The pilot reported the accident could have been prevented if he made decision to do a go around sooner.
Factual narrative
On August 28, 1994, at 1500 eastern daylight time, a Beechcraft A-23, N1462L, was substantially damaged during an attempted aborted landing from a private airstrip in Felton, Delaware. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The local personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that there was an 8 knot crosswind present during the landing. He stated the airplane touched down just passed the 1/2 way down mark on the 3,300-foot-long runway and became airborne again. He stated he elected to abort the landing and applied full power. The pilot stated, "I applied full power, a short distance later the plane encountered an apparent windshear and touched the runway again." The pilot said that the airplane veered off the runway into a soy bean field collapsing the right main gear and nose gear. The right wing and propeller contacted the field and were damaged.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions contributing to the accident. He wrote on his Pilot Aircraft Accident Report under the Recommendations Section (How Could This Accident Have Been Prevented), "Make decision to go around sooner."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1462L
- Reported as
- Beech A-23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-857
- Airframe hours
- 1,319
- Engine
- Continental IO-346-A, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wagenhoffer, John & Susan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 14, 1994 · 14 hours before
- Airport
- runway 33, 3,300 × 150 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 109 total · 91 in this make and model · 83 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.