Summary
On November 20, 2011, a Beech V35 (N9569Q) was involved in an accident near Lusby, MD. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 2 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot did not maintain clearance from trees during a night approach.
The pilot stated that during a night flight he made an initial pass to locate the airfield and turn on the runway lights via radio. The first approach was aborted when he lost sight of the landing area. He visually re-acquired the field and began his second approach. During the second approach, he saw the runway lights from the approach end to the departure end and the wind sock to the left of the runway. He recalled that he felt slightly low during the approach. On what he believed was short final, he stated that trees appeared in front of the windscreen. Trees limbs and branches began to hit the airplane. The airplane began to severely vibrate and shimmy, so the pilot reduced power and pushed the yoke forward to force the airplane on the ground.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA12CA080. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N9569Q.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot did not maintain clearance from trees during a night approach.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot stated that during a night flight he made an initial pass to locate the airfield and turn on the runway lights via radio. The first approach was aborted when he lost sight of the landing area. He visually re-acquired the field and began his second approach. During the second approach, he saw the runway lights from the approach end to the departure end and the wind sock to the left of the runway. He recalled that he felt slightly low during the approach. On what he believed was short final, he stated that trees appeared in front of the windscreen. Trees limbs and branches began to hit the airplane. The airplane began to severely vibrate and shimmy, so the pilot reduced power and pushed the yoke forward to force the airplane on the ground. The airplane collided with the ground and the airframe was substantially damaged.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA12CA080