Beechcraft 95-B55 N2031W

Summary

On 3 July 1997 at about 02:50 local time, a Beechcraft 95-B55 registered N2031W was involved in an accident near Beaumont, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 July 1997 at 02:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Beaumont, California, United States

Coordinates

33.9400, -116.9696

Aircraft

Beechcraft 95-B55

Registration

N2031W

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chino → Palm Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX97LA230

1 person had minor injuries.

the pilot's inadvertent movement of the propeller controls, instead of the throttle levers, which resulted in an inadvertent dual engine shutdown. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's failure to properly secure the door during preflight, and his lack of recent experience in this make and model of airplane combined with habit interference.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During takeoff, the pilot heard wind noise coming from the cabin door, but decided to continue the flight. After leveling off, however, the cabin door suddenly popped open. The pilot tried unsuccessfully to close the door, then failing that, tried to reduce his airspeed by retarding the throttles. Without looking, he inadvertently retarded the prop levers that were on the left side of the quadrant. Since the levers also served as feather switches when in the retarded position, both props went into full feather. The pilot attempted to bring both props out of feather, but because the aircraft was not equipped with unfeathering accumulators, he was unable. He finally restarted the left engine, but it did not immediately develop enough power to allow him to arrest his descent and maintain safe single engine airspeed. With only a few hundred feet of altitude remaining, he decided to make an emergency landing. The pilot reported that he regularly flew aircraft, which had throttles located on the left side of the quadrant. He also stated that he had not flown a 95-B55 in nearly 10 months, and then had only flown it 8 hours during the previous 12 months.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.