# NTSB ERA24LA165: Beech A36, N1861M, Cleveland, OH, April 6, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: April 6, 2024, 18:02 local (22:02 UTC) - Place: Cleveland, OH · Occurred on Runway - Coordinates: 41.405557, -81.86446 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.4056&lon=-81.8645&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 uninjured - 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 - NTSB case key (mKey): 194040 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA24LA165 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194040/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194040 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA165 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing, resulting in a hard, bounced landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech A36, 43 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=1151604), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech A36, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=1151604), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Beech A36, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=1151604), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was conducting a practice instrument landing system approach in visual meteorological conditions. During the landing approach, the pilot was provided a caution for wake turbulence due to a departing regional jet. During the landing flare, about 5 feet above the runway, the airplane descended suddenly and impacted the ground hard on the main landing gear before it “rocked to [the] nosewheel harshly.” The pilot attempted to abort the landing the airplane did not respond as he expected, and after several more bounces down the runway the airplane came to rest with its nose resting on the ground. A small postaccident fire damaged the area around the airplane’s engine, and the airplane’s wings were substantially damaged during the accident. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Airport surveillance video and data recovered from the airplane’s electronic flight instruments showed that at the time of the accident a 10 to 13 knot left quartering headwind prevailed. Additionally, review of air traffic control data showed that an airliner had departed from a parallel runway about 1 minute before the accident airplane crossed the runway threshold. The parallel runway was to the right, and downwind of the runway the accident pilot was approaching, therefore it is unlikely that wake turbulence from the departing airplane impacted the accident airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1861M](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1861M), registered now, S/N E-1936, built 1981 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH A36 - Registry model: [Beech A36](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-a36) (registry code 1151604) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: E-1936 - Year built: 1981 - Airframe hours: 5026 - Engines: Continental Aerospace Technologies IO-520-B 285 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility - Last inspection: Annual, December 22, 2023, 9.4 hours before - Departed: ORF, Norfolk, VA - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: CLE, Cleveland-Hopkins Intl, runway 06L, 9,000 × 150 ft, concrete - Equipment: Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 64; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review February 4, 2024; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 291.1 total, 254.2 in this make and model, 159.5 as pilot in command, 55.7 in the last 90 days, 6.5 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 350° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 52 °F, dew point 30 °F - Altimeter: 30.11 inHg - Observed at: CLE - METAR: KCLE 062151Z 35005KT 10SM SCT045 11/M01 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP215 T01061011 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20240406004819A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240406004819A), Apr 6, 2024: Beech A36, Cleveland, OH, Substantial damage. Pilot cleared into bravo (cle) for practice ILS 06L. Directed to betll at 3000. Autopilot set to approach mode. After betll crossed, dropped gear (3 green) and… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194040. 7.2 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 5.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17137151&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=01_ERA24LA165%20Pilot%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot's statement (item 2, PDF, 3 pages, 76 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17137227&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=02_ERA24LA165%20Pilot%20MOR_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot's email summary (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 66 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17137923&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=03_ERA24LA165%20Pilot%20Email%20Summary_Redacted-Rel.pdf - FAA inspector's statement (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 76 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17138117&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=05_ERA24LA165%20FAA%20Notes_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Investigative photographs, surveillance video still images, and ATC data plot (item 5, PDF, 7 pages, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17138127&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=06_ERA24LA165%20Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf - Electronic flight instrument data review (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 141 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17138137&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=07_ERA24LA165%20Garmin%20Data%20MOR-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.