Beechcraft 76 N6018U

Summary

On 26 October 2011 at about 14:05 local time, a Beechcraft 76 registered N6018U, operated by PRO Aircraft, was involved in an accident near Fort Worth, Texas, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 October 2011 at 14:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Worth, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Hicks Airfield (T67)

Coordinates

32.9256, -97.4244

Aircraft

Beechcraft 76

Registration

N6018U

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

PRO Aircraft

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Worth → Fort Worth

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN12FA043

3 people were seriously injured.

The flight instructor's failure to maintain airspeed above the air minimum control airspeed (Vmca), which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the instructor's failure to follow published procedures to retract the landing gear and maintain 85 knots minimum airspeed during the one-engine-inoperative go-around maneuver.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

On a training flight, the flight instructor reduced the right engine power to simulate an engine failure. During simulated shutdown and feathering, the right engine was inadvertently shut down and the propeller feathered. After several unsuccessful attempts to restart the right engine, the pilot receiving instruction maneuvered the airplane to land. The airplane was on final approach about 1,000 feet above ground level (agl) and flying about 120 knots; the pilot receiving instruction lowered the landing gear, and the airplane began to slow and descend for a straight-in landing on the runway. The instructor stated that they would have a difficult time turning the airplane left onto the taxiway, so he suggested landing on a different runway, which would require a right turn onto the taxiway. The instructor then took control of the airplane and began a go-around with the landing gear still extended, despite published procedures to raise the landing gear during a go-around. However, the airplane continued to descend, and the airspeed continued to slow below the published one-engine-inoperative go-around procedure to maintain 85 knots minimum airspeed. The airplane was about 100 feet agl and slowing through 65 knots when the airplane suddenly banked to the right, which is indicative of a roll and loss of control at air minimum control airspeed (Vmca) of 65 knots. The airplane impacted terrain in a right-wing-down and nose-down attitude. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engines revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.