- Date
- December 25, 2000, 16:40 local (22:40 UTC)
- Place
- Addison, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N53444Beech BE-60
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 8, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001225023739A
- Case key
- 50830
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 misjudged flare of the airplane resulting from restricted forward visibility. Factors were the pilot's continued flight into known adverse weather conditions, the icing conditions, and the iced windshield.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During short final on the instrument approach, ice accumulated on the windshield. The pilot requested and received clearance to circle for the landing. Following the circling approach, the multiengine airplane landed hard, exited the runway, and both main landing gear collapsed. The pilot had received a preflight weather briefing and filed an instrument flight plan. The weather observation at the destination airport: 3 miles visibility, mist, overcast 800 feet, temperature and dew point 32 degrees F., with the wind from 060 degrees at 15 knots. The private pilot's multiengine rating was limited to VFR only.
Factual narrative
On December 25, 2000, at 1640 central standard time, a Beech BE-60, twin engine airplane, N53444, landed hard on runway 33 at the Addison Municipal Airport, Addison, Texas. The airplane was owned by a private individual, and operated by the private pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Neither the pilot nor his two passengers received injuries; however, the airplane sustained substantial damage. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Glendale, Arizona, at 1135 mountain standard time.
The pilot received an abbreviated preflight weather briefing from the Prescott Flight Service Station, Prescott, Arizona. Upon reaching the Addison area, the pilot requested and was cleared for the ILS approach to runway 33, executed a missed approach, and received radar vectors for the ILS approach to runway 15. The airplane was about 100 feet agl on short final for runway 15, when the windshield iced over. The pilot requested, and was cleared to circle for the landing on runway 33. Windshield ice obstructed the pilot's vision, and the airplane landed hard, veered off the runway, and collapsed both main landing gears before coming to rest.
The FAA inspector examined the airplane and found structural damage throughout the aircraft. The left main landing gear was found collapsed, and the right main landing gear drag brace extended upward into the wing structures. The landing gear doors, propellers, and flaps were damaged. Wrinkling and buckling were noted at the fuselage and nose sections.
A review of the FAA records revealed that the pilot held a private certificate with airplane single-engine, airplane multiengine, and instrument airplane ratings. However, the multiengine rating was limited to visual flight rules (VFR) only.
At 1647, the weather observation at the Addison Airport indicated instrument meteorological conditions. The reported visibility was 3 miles in mist with an overcast cloud layer at 800 feet agl. The temperature and dew point were both reported at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The wind was reported from 060 degrees at 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53444
- Reported as
- Beech BE-60
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- P-36
- Airframe hours
- 2,053
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-541-E1A4, 360 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard D. Goldman
- Registered owner
- Brenda L. Dehart
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 15, 2000 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- GEU · Glendale, AZ
- Destination
- ADS
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ADS · Addison, runway 33, 7,202 × 100 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
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,668 total · 26 in this make and model · 1,599 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ADS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.