FTW96LA057

The pilot-owner/operator, who was seated in the right seat, said the left seat pilot made the approach to runway 15. The wind was reported as being from the southwest at 20 knots with no reference to gusts. He said the pilot aligned the airplane 40 feet left of runway centerline and failed to flare. The airplane contacted the runway, bounced back into the air with the right wing high, and began drifting to the left. The right seat pilot took control, first trying to lower the wing then attempting to abort the landing. The airplane struck the ground and cartwheeled. The left seat pilot said he was 'receiving training' from the pilot-owner and was 'not at the controls' at the time of the accident.

On November 30, 1995, approximately 1330 mountain standard time, a Beech D18S, N8603A, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during landing at Loveland, Colorado. The commercial pilot-in-command was seriously injured, and the commercial rated-second pilot and a pilot rated-passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91 that originated at Fort Collins, Colorado, on November 30, 1995, approximately 1320.

The following is based on the Pilot/Operator Report submitted by the pilot-owner/operator, who was seated in the right seat. He said the pilot in the left seat flew the airplane from Fort Collins-Downtown Airpark to Fort Collins-Loveland Airport without incident. The wind was reported to be from the southwest at 20 knots with no reference to gusts. An approach to runway 15 was made in stable air with a right crosswind correction. The airplane was aligned approximately 40 feet left of runway centerline. The pilot failed to flare for landing, and the airplane contacted the runway and bounced back into the air with the right wing high. The airplane began to drift to the left. The pilot did not correct and the pilot-owner tried to lower the wing. A wind gust caused the airplane to drift further left of centerline. The pilot-owner then attempted to abort the landing and applied full power. The airplane collided with the ground and cartwheeled. Both engines were sheared off and the nose was crushed. The right propeller struck and penetrated the cabin roof above the right pilot's seat.

The following is based on the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report submitted by the second pilot. He said he was "receiving training" from the pilot-owner, and was "not at the controls" at the time of the accident. Of the number of hours he has logged in the Beech 18 or C-45, less than two hours were spent in landing practice.

Airport personnel said that when the pilot made his initial radio call, they told him the winds were from 270 degrees at 20 knots and gusting to 28 knots. A flight instructor who witnessed the accident said the landing on runway 15 appeared normal. The right wing suddenly came up and the left wing scraped the ground, spinning the airplane around in the median between the runway and the taxiway. The Colorado State Patrol reported that at the time of the accident, one of its officers was investigating an accident involving a "high profile" vehicle (tractor trailer) that had been blown over by the high winds. The accident was on Interstate Highway 25, just south of the airport.