On December 24, 1984, a Beech BE-58 (registration N300EP) was involved in an aviation accident near Flint, MI. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed control during the approach in icing conditions, which resulted in a stalled hard landing and runway excursion. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft encountered icing during an IFR flight and prepared to land with ice still on the wings and tail. The pilot carried extra airspeed, causing the plane to balloon before stalling and making a hard landing.
What happened
During a flight conducted under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions, the aircraft encountered icing. By the time the crew prepared for landing, ice remained accumulated on the wings and tail surfaces. The pilot carried extra airspeed on the final approach. As the aircraft flared for touchdown, it ballooned upward. It then stalled and made a hard landing. The aircraft slid off the runway and struck a snow-covered object.
Findings
The presence of ice on the lifting surfaces likely degraded aerodynamic performance. Carrying extra airspeed contributed to the ballooning effect during flare. The subsequent stall and hard landing led to the runway excursion.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed control during the approach in icing conditions, which resulted in a stalled hard landing and runway excursion.