GAA17CA579

NTSB accident investigation · Beech 95 B55 · Statesville, NC · September 14, 2017

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
September 14, 2017, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
Place
Statesville, NC
Injuries
4 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N2182LBeech 95 B55
Defining event
Landing-aborted after touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report September 10, 2018
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
General Aviation Accidents
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20170914021669A
Case key
96873

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 pitch control of the airplane during landing, which resulted in a bounced landing.

Findings · 4

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: pitch controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedBeech 95-B55 (T42A): 2 casesAll aircraft: 526 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotBeech 95-B55 (T42A): 17 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: landing flareAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedBeech 95-B55 (T42A): 2 casesAll aircraft: 1,285 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 multi-engine airplane reported that the airplane touched down on the runway and she felt the application of aft yoke pressure. She looked over and saw that her right front seat passenger was "clenching the yoke with both fists." She reported that the airplane bounced once, and she aborted the landing. She flew one pattern and landed the airplane, and then she taxied to parking. According to the single-engine, pilot-rated passenger in the right front seat, during the initial touchdown, both engines remained at high rpm, and the airplane was drifting to the right side of the runway. The airplane bounced, and the pilot took the engines to idle. The airplane bounced again "very hard" on the nose landing gear. The airplane bounced a third time and landed "violently" on the nose landing gear. He reported that he felt the need to prevent a fourth runway impact, and he grabbed the yoke and applied aft pressure to minimize the rate of descent. The pilot in the left seat subsequently applied full power and aborted the landing. She flew one pattern and landed the airplane, then she taxied to parking. According to the passenger seated in the right rear seat, the approach was normal, but the initial touchdown was "forceful" and the airplane bounced. The airplane felt like it landed on the nose landing gear followed by the main landing gear and bounced a second time "much harder." A third bounce ensued, and it was the hardest. He heard the engines spool up and observed the pilot abort the landing. She flew one pattern and landed the airplane, and then she taxied to parking. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, just below the windscreen. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Factual narrative

The pilot in the multi-engine airplane reported that, the airplane touched down on the runway and she felt the application of aft yoke pressure. She looked over and saw that her right front seat passenger was "clenching the yoke with both fists." She reported that the airplane bounced once, and she aborted the landing. She flew one pattern and landed the airplane, and then she taxied to parking. According to the single engine pilot-rated passenger in the right front seat, during the initial touch down both engines remained at high RPM, and the airplane was drifting to the right side of the runway. The airplane bounced, and the pilot took the engines to idle. The airplane bounced again "very hard" on the nose landing gear. The airplane bounced a third time and landed "violently" on the nose landing gear. He reported that he felt the need to prevent a fourth runway impact, and he grabbed the yoke and applied aft pressure to minimize the rate of descent. The pilot in the left seat subsequently applied full power and aborted the landing. She flew one pattern and landed the airplane, then she taxied to parking. According to the passenger seated in the right rear seat, the approach was normal, but the initial touchdown was "forceful" and the airplane bounced. The airplane felt like it landed on the nose landing gear followed by the main landing gear and bounced a second time "much harder". A third bounce ensued, and it was the hardest. He heard the engines spool up and observed the pilot abort the landing. She flew one pattern and landed the airplane, and then she taxied to parking. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, just below the windscreen. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N2182L
Reported as
Beech 95 B55 ((T42A))
Category
Airplane
Serial number
TC-1996
Built
1976
Engines
Continental IO-540, reciprocatingContinental IO-540, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Business · Part 91
Operator
92 Aviation LLC
Registered owner
92 Aviation LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
ILM · Wilmington, NC
Destination
SVH · Statesville, NC
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
SVH · Statesville Rgnl, runway 28, 7,003 × 100 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Auto-pilot

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
34
Injuries
None
Certificates
Private, Commercial, Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Helicopter, Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
January 31, 2018
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
2,018 total · 66 in this make and model · 1,883 as pilot in command · 176 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Role
Pilot-rated passenger
Age
35
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3
Seat
Right
Restraint
4-point

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
260° at 3 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Temperature
68 °F, dew point 61 °F
Altimeter
29.98 inHg
Observed at
KSVH

Docket · 5

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 5, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 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.