Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary CHI94LA281

BOYCEVILLE, WI, USA

Aircraft #1

N5095C

BEECH B-35

Analysis

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH, AT APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY SURFACE, THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED AN EXTREME DOWNDRAFT. HE STATED HE FLARED THE AIRPLANE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE FROM BEING SLAMMED ONTO THE RUNWAY. AFTER THE INITIAL IMPACT, THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED INTO THE AIR IN A NOSE HIGH ATTIUTDE. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE NOSE DOWN AND APPLIED ENGINE POWER. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GRASS ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY, THE NOSE WHEEL COLLAPSED, AND THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND BEFORE THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE REPORTED BY THE PILOT. THE PILOT REPORTED THE WINDS TO BE FROM 270 DEGREES AT 14 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 20 KNOTS.

Factual Information

On August 14, 1994, at 1110 central daylight time, a Beech B-35 Bonanza, N5095C, was substantially damaged when it landed hard and skidded off Runway 22 at Boyceville Municipal Airport, Boyceville, Wisconsin. Neither the pilot or the sole passenger aboard were injured. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight originated in Strum, Wisconsin, at 1035. The flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without flight plan. In a written statement, the pilot reported everything was normal on final approach to land until approximately 15 to 20 feet above the runway surface. The pilot stated, "...we hit an extreme downdraft. I flared the plane to correct but was unable to stop the plane from being slammed into the runway on its main gear." The pilot stated, after the initial impact the airplane bounced back into the air in an extreme nose high attitude. He immediately pushed the airplane's nose down and increased the engine power. The pilot stated the airplane then impacted the grass adjacent to the runway. The nose wheel collapsed and the right wing struck the ground before the airplane came to rest. No preimpact mechanical anomalies were reported by the pilot.

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot-in-command's inadequate compensation for the existing wind conditions during the landing flare/touchdown. A factor was the gusty wind conditions.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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