On January 15, 1984, a Beech C-24-R (registration N974V) operated by Air South Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Fullerton, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain proper airspeed during the final approach, which resulted in a stall and subsequent hard landing, exacerbated by the aircraft being overloaded. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft landed hard after the pilot reported hearing a stall warning buzzer at approximately 50 feet above ground level, resulting in significant structural damage.
What happened
A rear-seated passenger reported that when the aircraft was about 50 feet above ground level, he heard the stall warning buzzer sound. Several seconds later, the aircraft hit the runway in a near-level attitude. The landing was described by the passenger as 'on the hard side.'
The investigation
Investigation revealed that the aircraft was over maximum allowable gross weight at the time of the accident.
Findings
Aircraft overweight
Stall warning buzzer sounded before impact
Hard landing on runway
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain proper airspeed during the final approach, which resulted in a stall and subsequent hard landing, exacerbated by the aircraft being overloaded.