ERA12CA182

NTSB accident investigation · Beech 58 · South Charleston, WV · February 15, 2012

Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
February 15, 2012, 11:15 local (16:15 UTC)
Place
South Charleston, WV
Injuries
2 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N9460QBeech 58
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 7, 2012
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
Parties
FAA/FSDO
FAA report
20120215002611A
Case key
82906

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot’s loss of directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.

Findings · 2

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedBeech 58: 6 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotBeech 58: 15 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

The pilot reported that he landed uneventfully; however, during the landing roll, he applied the brakes and the airplane veered off of the right side of the runway into mud and dirt. The pilot said that he added engine power in an attempt to get out of the mud and climb a small incline. He said that the airplane skidded across the ramp and collided with a parked airplane, a hangar, and an embankment. During the accident sequence, the airplane's main landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the lower fuselage and right wing. Examination did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Additionally, the pilot did not report any such malfunctions or failures.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he landed on runway 33 uneventfully. During the landing rollout he applied the brakes and the airplane veered off of the right side of the runway into mud and dirt. He added full engine power in an attempt to get out of the mud and climb a small incline. He said that the airplane exited the mud, skidded across the ramp, and collided with a parked airplane and hangar before colliding with an embankment. During the accident sequence, the airplane's main landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the lower fuselage and right wing. The recorded wind at an airport, located approximately 7 miles west of the accident site, was from 160 degrees at 3 knots. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N9460Q
Reported as
Beech 58
Category
Airplane
Serial number
TH-207
Airframe hours
4,820
Engines
Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocatingCont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Caswell Bruce
Registered owner
Caswell Bruce
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · March 14, 2011 · 54 hours before
Departed
CRW · Charleston, WV
Destination
WV12 · South Charleston, WV
Airport
WV12 · Mallory Airport, runway 33, 2,000 × 24 ft, asphalt

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
80
Injuries
None
Certificates
Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Helicopter, Airplane
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
September 14, 2011
Seat
Left
Flight hours
32,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 31,000 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
160° at 3 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
52 °F, dew point 34 °F
Altimeter
30.20 inHg
Observed at
CRW, 8 nm away

Docket · 8

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 6, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 14.3 MB in all.

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.