# NTSB MIA96FA082: Beech 95-B55, N448P, Morganton, NC, February 19, 1996 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: February 18, 1996, 20:36 local (Feb 19, 1996, 01:36 UTC) - Place: Morganton, NC - Coordinates: 35.739109, -81.690078 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.7391&lon=-81.6901&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 2 fatal, 1 serious, 3 minor - Status: Completed, report April 29, 1997 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 37896 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA96FA082 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/37896/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA96FA082 ## Probable cause the pilot's delay in initiating a go-around (aborted landing), which resulted in his failure to obtain/maintain sufficient altitude or clearance from trees beyond the end of the runway. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's failure to ensure proper weight and balance of the airplane; and his improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in porpoising of the airplane. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - aircraft weight and balance - exceeded, pilot in command (contributing factor) - light condition - dark night - flare - improper, pilot in command (contributing factor) - recovery from bounced landing - improper, pilot in command (contributing factor) - porpoise/pilot-induced oscillation - inadvertent, pilot in command (contributing factor) - In flight collision with object, landing - aborted - aborted landing - delayed, pilot in command (cause) - object - tree(s) - altitude/clearance - not obtained/maintained, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled ## Analysis The owner/pilot had recently purchased the airplane. Another pilot, who had delivered the airplane to the new owner, flew with him on 2 occasions. He said the owner/pilot was about 20 knots fast on final approach and had a tendency to flare late for landing. During the accident flight, the pilot entered the traffic pattern at night and configured the airplane for landing. During the landing, the airplane touched down (bounced) nosewheel first and began to porpoise. Following the second bounce, the airplane pitched nose up, and the pilot initiated a go-around; however, the airplane bounced a third time, and the cabin door popped open. The right front seat passenger attempted to hold the door closed as the pilot continued the go-around. After the third bounce, the airplane remained airborne about 6 to 15 feet until it collided with trees beyond the departure end of the runway; then it came to rest inverted. Examination of the engines, propellers, and flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Calculations showed that at the time of the accident, the gross weight was 192 pounds over the maximum limit, and the center-of-gravity (CG) was 1.56 inches behind the aft limit. Also, the POH/Flight Manual indicated that the performance would be reduced with the cabin door open. The pilot had accumulated an estimated 9 hours in the accident airplane since he purchased it. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 18, 1996, about 2036 eastern standard time, a Beech 95-B55, N448P, crashed during a go-around after landing at the Morganton-Lenoir Airport, Morganton, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was destroyed by impact and a postcrash fire, and the airline transport-rated pilot, and one passenger were fatally injured. One passenger sustained serious injuries and three passengers sustained minor injuries. The flight originated about 1835, from the St. Augustine Airport, St. Augustine, Florida. The flight departed with full fuel tanks and according to all surviving passengers, the flight was uneventful until arrival in the traffic pattern. The runway lights were illuminated when the flight arrived and the pilot turned left downwind then base and lowered the landing gear. The pilot turned onto final approach to runway 3 with the flaps lowered to an undetermined position. One of the passengers who is a pilot and an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic stated that he heard the pilot advance both propeller controls to the high rpm position while on final approach. The airplane was landed first on the nose landing gear and then began to porpoise three times each increasing in "violence" as reported by one of the passengers. After the second bounce the pilot applied power to both engines. Following the third touchdown on the nose landing gear, the cabin door popped open 3-6 inches, the airplane pitched nose up, and the right front seat passenger grabbed the door and attempted to hold it closed. The pilot retracted the landing gear, and flew above the runway about 6-15 feet. The passengers stated that the engines sounded normal when the pilot applied power and no passenger reported feeling a yawing motion from the airplane. The airplane continued flying past the departure end of the runway and while in a slight right wing low attitude, the right wing first collided with a tree. The airplane then yawed and rolled to the right, descended through trees, impacted the ground, and came to rest inverted. The passengers seated in the rear seats each released their own restraints, and after observing a fire outside of the airplane adjacent to the left side of the fuselage, kicked the baggage door located on the right side of the fuselage. They then helped rescue the middle seat occupants from the airplane, ran to the airport, and called for emergency assistance. PERSONNEL INFORMATION Information pertaining to the pilot is contained on page 3 of the Factual Report-Aviation. No determination could be made as to recent night flight experience required by 14 CFR Part 61.57. Additionally, according to the pilot who delivered the airplane to and flew with the new owner/accident pilot on two separate flights with the new owner acting as pilot-in-command, he had to help the accident pilot rotate and flare for landing on both flights. The accident pilot had the tendency to rotate the airplane too late, the approach speed on final for both flights was 20 knots fast, and the flare for landing was late. The pilot further stated that both flights occurred during daylight hours and he did not observe the pilot using a checklist. He felt the accident pilot was not proficient in the accident make and model airplane and when he asked the accident pilot if he would like to perform airwork, the accident pilot responded that "he had someone else lined up." The accident pilot had accumulated an estimated 9 hours in the accident airplane since purchasing it in January 1996. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION Information pertaining to the airplane is contained on page 2 of the Factual Report-Aviation and in Supplements A and B. The aircraft and engine logbooks were reportedly in the airplane at the time of the accident. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook and FAA approved Airplane Flight Manual (POH/AFM), the flight characteristics of the airplane are not affected if the cabin door becomes unlatched in flight; however, there is a reduction in performance. The airplane was equipped with a 136-gallon usable fuel supply according to the original delivery documents and one of the recent previous owners/operators. A weight and balance document obtained from one of the two recent previous owner/operators of the airplane revealed an error in the empty weight and empty weight moment. Weight and balance calculations were performed using the corrected empty weight and empty weight moment. The pilot's weight was based on FAA records and the weight of the right front seat passenger was based on a recent physical examination. The weights of the surviving passengers and their baggage, its location, and seating positions were based on interviews. The fuel tanks were determined to be full before takeoff. Additionally, the POH/AFM was consulted regarding fuel used for engine start, taxi, and takeoff which was included in the calculations. The takeoff weight and center of gravity (CG) were calculated to be 5, 658 pounds and 87.34 inches respectively using the above information, and most forward seating position of each of the first four seats which are movable. The accident weight and CG were calculated using an estimated fuel consumption of 61 gallons and the above information and determined to be 5,292 pounds and 87.56 inches respectively. According to the POH/AFM, the gross takeoff or landing weight is 5,100 pounds and the aft CG limit is 86.0 inches. Weight and balance calculations for takeoff and landing were also performed using the incorrect empty weight and empty weight moment, and the identical information from above. The takeoff weight and CG were calculated to be 5,562.8 and 88.04 inches respectively. The accident weight and CG were calculated to be 5,196.8 and 88.31 inches respectively. AERODROME INFORMATION Information pertaining to the airport is contained on page 2 of the Factual Report-Aviation. At the time of the accident the runway lights and the Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI) were on. The Airport Facility Directory indicates that the runway 3 safety area has a 100 foot drop off 100 feet from the threshold on both sides of the runway centerline. Also, the height at the departure end of the runway is 27.4 feet higher than the approach end of the runway. The airport is equipped with a localizer approach to runway 3 and the height of the localizer antenna is 10.38 feet higher than the height at the departure end of runway 3. The antenna which was not damaged during the accident sequence is located 830 feet from the departure end of the runway. The terrain drops about 110 feet at a distance of about 850 feet from the departure end of the runway and trees of varying heights are located beginning 960 feet from the departure end of the runway. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION Examination of the runway used revealed that there was no evidence of either propeller contacting the runway. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane first impacted trees while in a 10 degree right wing low attitude. The first airplane component found along the wreckage path was the right wing tip which was located about 1,036 feet from the departure end of the runway and about 25 feet to the right of the extended centerline. The airplane continued on a heading of about 040 degrees while in a 15-degree angle of descent colliding with trees of varying heights and diameters. Beginning about 1,514 feet from the departure end of the runway and to the right of the wreckage path were components from the left wing. The wreckage came to rest 1,560 feet from the departure end of the runway on a magnetic heading of 030 degrees with the left wing nearly separated and the cockpit and cabin inverted and consumed by fire. The empennage was upright. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N448P](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N448P-2014-10-01), registration cancelled 2014-10-01, S/N TC-2172, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Beech 95-B55 - Registry model: [Beech 95-B55 (T42A)](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-95-b55-t42a) (registry code 1152706) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental I0-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (registry code 17027, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: TC-2172 - Airframe hours: 2540 - Engines: Continental IO-470-L 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Ray Davis - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 6, 1995, 89 hours before - Departed: SGJ, ST AUGUSTINE, FL - Destination: MRN - Airport: MRN, Morganton-Lenoir, runway 3, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 64; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 25,000 total, 9 in the last 90 days, 9 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 150° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 16 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: HKY, 12 nm away ## 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 19960219001919A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960219001919A), Feb 19, 1996: Beech 95B55, Lenoir, NC, Destroyed, 2 fatal. Overshot runway, crashed and burned. 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.