- Date
- April 29, 2014, 13:42 local (17:42 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Pierce, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6756XBeech 76
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140429005079A
- Case key
- 89138
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 instructor's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point in a multiengine airplane, during a single-engine approach in a strong gusty headwind.
Findings · 4
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.
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 instructor of the multiengine airplane reported that he and the student pilot had intentionally shutdown and secured the right engine for training purposes; however, they were unable to get it restarted. The instructor then flew the airplane back to the departure airport and extended the landing gear while on a 2-mile left base leg of the airport traffic pattern for runway 14. After the landing gear was extended, the instructor noticed a high descent rate and subsequently raised the landing gear, which arrested the descent. At that point, the tower controller reported that the wind was from 130 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 35 knots. The instructor extended the landing gear again when the airplane was established on final approach at the proper glidepath, but the descent rate again increased and the wind started to gust on short final approach. The airplane subsequently touched down prior to the approach end of runway 14, in a grass drainage basin of a perpendicular runway. During the landing, the right wing struck the ground and the nosegear collapsed before the airplane came to rest upright in the basin. With the exception of the inability to restart the right engine, the instructor did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The inspector did not observe any preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
Factual narrative
The instructor of the multiengine airplane reported that he and the student pilot had intentionally shutdown and secured the right engine for training purposes; however, they were unable to get it restarted. The instructor then flew the airplane back to the departure airport and extended the landing gear while on a 2-mile left base leg of the airport traffic pattern for runway 14. After the landing gear was extended, the instructor noticed a high descent rate and subsequently raised the landing gear, which arrested the descent. At that point, the tower controller reported that the wind was from 130 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 35 knots. The instructor extended the landing gear again when the airplane was established on final approach at the proper glidepath, but the descent rate again increased and the wind started to gust on short final approach. The airplane subsequently touched down prior to the approach end of runway 14, in a grass drainage basin of a perpendicular runway. During the landing, the right wing struck the ground and the nosegear collapsed before the airplane came to rest upright in the basin. With the exception of the inability to restart the right engine, the instructor did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The inspector did not observe any preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6756X
- Reported as
- Beech 76
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- ME-346
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 12,489
- Engines
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming LO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Ari Ben Aviator Inc, doing business as Aviator College of Aeronautical Science & Technolo
- Registered owner
- Ari Ben Aviator Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 8, 2014 · 49 hours before
- Departed
- FPR · Fort Pierce, FL
- Destination
- FPR · Fort Pierce, FL
- Airport
- FPR · St Lucie County International, runway 14, 4,755 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,335 total · 76 in this make and model · 1,183 as pilot in command · 145 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 27, 2013
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 267 total · 166 in this make and model · 170 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 22 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- FPR
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 8, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 859 KB 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.