- Date
- January 31, 2001, 19:30 local (Feb 1, 2001, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Louisa, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9746LBeech B-19
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010131039449A
- Case key
- 51420
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 airspeed, which resulted in a hard landing. Factor's in this accident were the loss of electrical power due to an alternator failure and the night light conditions.
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
While in cruise flight, the airplane experienced a complete electrical failure. The pilot stated that during landing, the airplane "got slow" on final approach and dropped approximately 12 to 15 feet onto the runway. The nose gear separated and the airplane slid to a stop. The pilot added that the runway lights were illuminated during the landing. Examination of the airplane's alternator revealed an internal failure which precluded the alternator from producing sufficient voltage to power the airplane. The pilot reported 235 hours of total fight experience, which included 27 hours in the make and model of the accident airplane. Additionally, the pilot reported he had flown the accident airplane at night, two days prior to the accident and had not experienced any electrical problems.
Factual narrative
On January 31, 2001, about 1930 Eastern Standard Time, a Beech B-19, N9746L, was substantially damaged while landing at the Louisa County-Freeman Field Airport (LKU), Louisa, Virginia. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed Warrenton, Virginia, destined for the Hanover County Municipal Airport (OFP), Richmond, Virginia. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In a written statement, the pilot reported he was en route to OFP when the airplane experienced a complete electrical failure. The pilot turned back toward Warrenton, and elected to land at LKU, on Runway 27. He stated the airplane "got slow," on final approach and dropped approximately 12 to 15 feet onto the runway. The nose gear separated and the airplane slid to a stop. The pilot added that the runway lights were illuminated during the landing.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, examination of the airplane's alternator revealed an internal failure which precluded the alternator from producing sufficient voltage to power the airplane.
The pilot reported 235 hours of total fight experience, which included 27 hours in the make and model of the accident airplane. Additionally, the pilot reported he had flown the accident airplane at night, two days prior to the accident and had not experienced any electrical problems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9746L
- Reported as
- Beech B-19
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MB-528
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- McMichael National Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 6, 2000 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- W66 · Warrenton, VA
- Destination
- OFP · Richmond, VA
- Airport
- LKU · Louisa, runway 27, 4,301 × 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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 235 total · 27 in this make and model · 162 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- LKU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.