ERA19TA105

NTSB accident investigation · Beech 76 · Frankfort, KY · February 21, 2019

Accident · Minor injuriesFinal report
Date
February 21, 2019, 10:26 local (15:26 UTC)
Place
Frankfort, KY
Injuries
1 minor, 1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N7KYBeech 76
Defining event
Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report August 10, 2020
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
Parties
FAA/FSDO
FAA report
20190221010419A
Case key
99005

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 failure to maintain airplane control during a simulated single-engine go-around, which resulted in a collision with terrain.

Findings · 3

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: yaw controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedBeech 76: 1 caseAll aircraft: 149 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: lateral/bank controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedBeech 76: 4 casesAll aircraft: 390 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilotBeech 76: 11 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 in the left seat was receiving instruction to obtain a commercial multiengine rating and was performing a practice left engine-out approach. He indicated that he determined that he had the runway "made" and reduced throttle on the right engine. He stated that the airplane "settled" too much, and he added throttle without compensating with the appropriate aileron and rudder inputs. The approach became unstable, and he called for a go-around and added full right throttle while the airplane was below minimum controllable airspeed. The instructor indicated that this occurred before he could stop the pilot and that the airplane reacted quickly with a yaw and roll to the left. The airplane collided with the ground in a left-wing-low attitude, caught fire, and sustained substantial damage from the impact forces and postaccident fire. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.

Factual narrative

On February 21, 2019, about 1026 eastern standard time, a Beech 76 airplane, N7KY, collided with terrain during an aborted landing at Capital City Airport (FFT), Frankfurt, Kentucky. The commercial pilot was not injured and a flight instructor incurred minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was operated by Nexgen Aviation LLC as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed near the accident site, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Blue Grass Airport (LEX), Lexington, Kentucky about 0910, and was destined for FFT. The rated pilot in the left seat was receiving instruction to obtain a commercial multiengine rating. According to the flight instructor in the right seat, a practice localizer approach to runway 25 at FFT was requested and they received vectors for the approach. The instructor briefed for the pilot to perform a simulated left engine out approach to a full stop. The emergency single engine procedure was briefed, the landing gear were lowered and the flaps were confirmed up. The left engine was set to zero thrust. While over runway 25, at a point between the runway numbers and the 1,000 ft mark on the runway, about 20 feet above the landing surface, the pilot under instruction added power to the right engine while below minimum controllable airspeed. This occurred before the flight instructor could stop him. The airplane reacted quickly with a yaw and roll to the left. The airplane contacted the ground between the runway and parallel taxiway, continued across the taxiway, and down an embankment. The airplane came to rest about 150 ft from the taxiway and caught fire. Both pilots egressed the airplane and were met by first responders. The pilot receiving instruction reported that he maneuvered the airplane to an extended final approach to runway 25. Once established on final, he noticed that the altitude was lower than the previous approach. Once he determined that he had the runway "made," he began to reduce power on the right engine. The aircraft "settled low," so he added right throttle to re-establish the glide path. In doing so, he did not add the required control inputs of aileron and rudder. The approach became unstable, and he announced, "go around" and moved the right throttle full forward. The airplane immediately entered an uncontrollable left yaw and roll and struck the ground in a left-wing low attitude. He later reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. Inspectors with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. Both wings and the fuselage were structurally damaged from impact and the postaccident fire.

Aircraft

Registration
N7KY
Reported as
Beech 76 (No Series)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
ME-139
Built
1979
Airframe hours
8,821
Engines
Lycoming O-360-A1G6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming LO-360-A1G6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Fire
On-Ground
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Nexgen Aviation LLC
Registered owner
Nexgen Aircraft Leasing Llc
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · January 31, 2019 · 17 hours before
Departed
LEX · Lexington, KY
Destination
FFT · Frankfort, KY
Airport
FFT · Capital City Airport, runway 25, 5,506 × 100 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Stall warning system, ADS-B

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
Student pilot
Age
27
Injuries
None
Certificates
Commercial, Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Helicopter, Airplane
Medical
Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
November 21, 2018
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
639 total · 16 in this make and model · 431 as pilot in command · 91 in the last 90 days · 29 in the last 30 days
Role
Flight instructor
Age
76
Injuries
Minor
Certificates
Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
October 29, 2018
Seat
Right
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
22,189 total · 78 in this make and model · 16,312 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
310° at 4 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
46 °F, dew point 32 °F
Altimeter
30.19 inHg
Observed at
FFT

Docket · 7

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 28, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 13.8 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.