- Date
- June 15, 1997, 10:12 local (14:12 UTC)
- Place
- New Smyrna Bch, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N59BWBeech B19
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970615014139A
- Case key
- 38290
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 private pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent collapse of the left main landing gear and the nose gear.
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
The pilot had inadvertently left the towbar attached to the nosewheel. During the initial climb after takeoff, he was informed that something was attached to his nosewheel. He continued to his destination airport. During arrival, the airplane touched down hard on the left main landing gear, the nose pitched down, and subsequently, the left main landing gear and nosewheel failed. The airplane then veered to the left, departed the runway, and the left wing was damaged.
Factual narrative
On June 15, 1997, about 1012 eastern daylight time, a Beech B19, N59BW, registered to a Dair Enterprize Inc., operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed on landing at the New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport, New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The private pilot and one passenger reported no injuries. The flight originated from Daytona Beach, Florida, about 17 minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated he conducted a preflight inspection of the airplane before he departed on the VFR flight to conduct touch-and-go landings at New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He inadvertently left the nosewheel tow bar attached to the airplane. On climbout, Daytona Beach tower informed him that something was attached to the nosewheel. He elected to continue to New Smyrna Beach. He made a VFR approach to runway 29 and was concentrating on keeping the nose high due to the tow bar. He landed hard on the left main landing gear and the nose pitched down on the nosewheel. The left main landing gear and the nose wheel separated, the airplane veered to the left, departed the runway, and the left wing collided with the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N59BW
- Reported as
- Beech B19
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MB-508
- Airframe hours
- 3,712
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2C, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Arthur A. Dupont
- Registered owner
- Dair Enterprizes Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 28, 1997 · 31 hours before
- Departed
- DAB · Daytona Beach, FL
- Destination
- 34J
- Airport
- 34J · New Smyrna Bch Municipal, runway 29, 4,300 × 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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 143 total · 41 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 13 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAB, 20 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.
Other investigations on N59BW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.