On April 20, 1984, a Beech C-24R (registration N1827Z) was involved in an aviation accident near Bedford, VA. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a straight-in approach, the aircraft floated, bounced twice, and then ran off the runway, striking a tree and collapsing the nose landing gear.
Incident Details
The flight involved a straight-in approach to the runway. During the approach, the aircraft was positioned high over the trees located at the approach end of the runway. The pilot waited until the aircraft was halfway down the 3,000-foot runway to reduce the engine power to idle.
Sequence of Events
Upon reducing power, the aircraft began to float before eventually dropping to the runway surface. The initial touchdown caused the aircraft to bounce back into the air. In response, the pilot applied power and attempted to abort the landing. However, the aircraft bounced again. The pilot then cut the power after determining that the aircraft would not be able to clear the trees beyond the end of the runway. The pilot managed to steer the aircraft down a fire break. During this excursion, the right wing struck a tree, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The aircraft continued and traveled 510 feet past the end of the runway before stopping.