N2150W

On April 15, 1993, at approximately 1845 central daylight time, a Beech C23, N2150W, was substantially damaged while landing at the Searcy Municipal Airport, near Searcy, Arkansas. The private pilot and his passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the ferry flight.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane was recently purchased by the Coastal Carolina Aero Club, and was being ferried from Seattle, Washington, to Ocean Isle Beach, in North Carolina.

According to a witness at the airport, the airplane was observed in the traffic pattern for runway 19 flying at low speed. The witness added that the airplane was in a level attitude at approximately ten to twelve feet off the runway surface when it dropped, landed hard, bounced once, and rolled for some distance before the pilot added power to attempt to abort the landing. The witness further stated that during the attempted aborted landing, the airplane was observed in an exaggerated nose high attitude until control was lost. He estimated that the winds were blowing from the southwest at 8 knots.

The pilot stated that after the wheels touched down on the runway, "an extreme 90 degree crosswind gust was blowing the airplane off the runway." He added that he attempted to make a go around and was airborne before control was lost.

The left wing impacted the grass area between the runway and a parallel taxiway. Post accident inspection of the airframe revealed that in addition to the left wing spar being separated from the fuselage, the left main landing gear, nose landing gear, and propeller were also damaged.

The wreckage was verbally released to the owner's representative by the Federal Aviation Administration inspector at the accident site.