No fatalities

4 Oct 2008: BEECH 76 — Eloy, AZ

Eloy, AZ, United States

On 4 Oct 2008, a BEECH 76 was involved in an aviation accident near Eloy, AZ. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during landing. Contributing to the accident were the crosswind wind conditions and terrain induced turbulence. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot encountered sudden turbulence while flaring for landing at a private airstrip, causing a right roll and wing strike. The airplane cartwheeled and came to rest upright. Both wings were structurally damaged.

Accident Details

During the landing flare on runway 24 at a private airstrip, the airplane unexpectedly encountered turbulence, which caused an immediate roll to the right. The pilot attempted to counteract the roll and abort the landing, but the right wing struck the runway surface. The airplane then cartwheeled before coming to rest upright adjacent to the runway.

Weather and Environmental Factors

The pilot reported that at the time of the accident, the wind was from 210 degrees at 20 knots. According to the owner of the private airstrip, turbulence near the approach end of runway 24 is common during high wind conditions, attributed to the location of a residential structure.

Aircraft Condition

An examination conducted by the pilot revealed structural damage to both wings. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the engine, airframe, or flight control system prior to the accident.

Contributing factors

Causes

Lateral/bank control — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome