The pilot of the Beechcraft Baron was attempting to land at an airport in St. Paul, Minn. After touching down, he realized he had landed long, and was concerned about being able to bring the plane to a stop before he ran out of runway, so he initiated a go-around.
During climb-out, the pilot heard a “thump,” so he returned to the airport and landed the airplane.
The post-flight examination revealed that the right side of the lower fuselage and cockpit floor had been damaged beneath the co-pilot/right-front passenger seat.
It was determined that the Baron hit an airport sign off the runway’s right side during the climb-out.
The pilot and one passenger were not injured. A second passenger reported minor injuries.
The NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident as the pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during a rejected landing, which resulted in a collision with an airport sign off the right side of the runway during the transition to the initial climb.
NTSB Identification: CEN13LA579
This June 2015 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Well, I would ask the same question. How did a backseater get hurt? Maybe he/she was trying to get the hell out of this “Accident looking for a place to Happen.” But, hey the ship is probably repairable anyway.
It could have been the splinters coming up from the wood floorboards the got him.
When your two miles behind the landing you will usually run out of runway before you arrive.
Was it another Doctor or maybe a Lawyer piloting the Baron? And how did a second passenger manage to receive minor injuries? Was there a puncture of the fuselage which wasn’t mentioned.
From what is reported, it appears the pilot became a ‘whisker’ from becoming a statistic. Not much information here, but what I really wonder is why the report said “attempting”, as opposed to, “intended” … hm … mm. It would seem that a pilot flying a Baron would have sufficient training to perform such tasks as merely landing and the endeavor would be beyond the “attempt” stage.
Of course, the need for ‘go-arounds’ should be part of a pre-determined decision based on the set of circumstances, and not an afterthought decison, as this appeared to be. Much more could be said here but I’ll leave it at that.