The pilot was flying his Beech 58 to his home airport following an annual inspection. Ground operations and the preflight inspection were routine, and the weather was “clear and calm.”
During the takeoff roll from the airport in Pisgah Forest, N.C., he noticed that the engines were not running smoothly. Rather than continue over the mountains to his destination, he elected to return to the departure airport.
As he set up for landing, he was anxious and “high and a little fast” on the approach, he told investigators. After touchdown, the airplane bounced and veered slightly left as he applied the brakes and retarded the throttles. The airplane departed the end of the runway, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed down in the grass.
An FAA inspector reported that the propellers contacted the ground, and the lower fuselage and right wing root were substantially damaged.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He added he did not fly a stabilized final approach.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain proper altitude and airspeed on final approach, resulting in a runway excursion and substantial damage to the airplane.
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This July 2024 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.
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