Summary
On April 29, 2014, a Beech 76 (N6756X) was involved in an incident near Fort Pierce, FL. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The instructor's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point in a multiengine airplane, during a single-engine approach in a strong gusty headwind.
The instructor of the multiengine airplane reported that he and the student pilot had intentionally shutdown and secured the right engine for training purposes; however, they were unable to get it restarted. The instructor then flew the airplane back to the departure airport and extended the landing gear while on a 2-mile left base leg of the airport traffic pattern for runway 14. After the landing gear was extended, the instructor noticed a high descent rate and subsequently raised the landing gear, which arrested the descent. At that point, the tower controller reported that the wind was from 130 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 35 knots.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA14CA213. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N6756X.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The instructor's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point in a multiengine airplane, during a single-engine approach in a strong gusty headwind.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The instructor of the multiengine airplane reported that he and the student pilot had intentionally shutdown and secured the right engine for training purposes; however, they were unable to get it restarted. The instructor then flew the airplane back to the departure airport and extended the landing gear while on a 2-mile left base leg of the airport traffic pattern for runway 14. After the landing gear was extended, the instructor noticed a high descent rate and subsequently raised the landing gear, which arrested the descent. At that point, the tower controller reported that the wind was from 130 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 35 knots. The instructor extended the landing gear again when the airplane was established on final approach at the proper glidepath, but the descent rate again increased and the wind started to gust on short final approach. The airplane subsequently touched down prior to the approach end of runway 14, in a grass drainage basin of a perpendicular runway. During the landing, the right wing struck the ground and the nosegear collapsed before the airplane came to rest upright in the basin. With the exception of the inability to restart the right engine, the instructor did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The inspector did not observe any preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA14CA213