- Date
- December 12, 2023, 15:44 local (20:44 UTC)
- Place
- Sidney, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6643HBeech A36
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20231212021189A
- Case key
- 193518
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 pilots’ improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing, runway excursion, and subsequent impact with a terminal sign and taxi light.
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.
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 right seat pilot reported that after performing a preflight inspection, he anticipated the airplane would need to be refueled and subsequently left the fuel caps unlocked. After a discussion with the left seat pilot (who was acting as the pilot-in-command), they decided they would not need to refuel before the flight. Both pilots performed another walk around inspection and neither pilot noticed that the fuel caps remained unlocked. Shortly after takeoff, the right seat pilot noticed that both fuel caps were not secure, and that fuel was escaping from both main fuel tanks. He elected to make return to the departure airport and land on the opposite direction runway. The pilots were both manipulating the controls when they landed the airplane “hard” on the main landing gear. The airplane then bounced and veered to the right of the runway, impacting a terminal sign and taxi light. The hard landing and subsequent runway excursion resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6643H
- Reported as
- Beech A36
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E-1667
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 6,497.4
- Engine
- Continental Aerospace Technologies IO-520-BB, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 14, 2023 · 56 hours before
- Departed
- SCA · Sidney, OH
- Airport
- SCA · Sidney Muni, runway 05, 2,981 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 73
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 12, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,341 total · 360 in this make and model
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- November 22, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,562 total · 1,312 in this make and model · 1,492 as pilot in command · 0 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- EDJ, 17 nm away
- METAR
- KEDJ 122035Z AUTO 27014G20KT 10SM CLR 08/M05 A3031 RMK A01
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.0 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.