Incident Overview
On May 2, 2010, at approximately 1600 Pacific daylight time, a Beech 35 (registration N3174V) sustained substantial damage following a runway overrun at Willapa Harbor Airport in South Bend (Raymond), Washington. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The aircraft was registered to Bayshore Realty and operated by the pilot for a personal cross-country flight under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight departed Bremerton, Washington, at 1430, with a planned destination of Willapa Harbor. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Pilot Report
According to a written report submitted to the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot stated that during the approach to runway 29, winds were from the south and gusting. The pilot reported an approach airspeed of 90 miles per hour (mph) or more on short final due to the wind conditions. The airplane floated approximately 10 to 15 feet above the ground before touching down about halfway down the 3,005-foot hard-surfaced runway. Shortly after touchdown, the pilot aborted the landing and applied full power. The aircraft became airborne, but as it climbed through about 20 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The pilot then touched down a second time, and the airplane subsequently overran the runway.
Aircraft Damage
The accident resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, undercarriage, and firewall. After the incident, recovery personnel disassembled the airframe, removing both wings to facilitate transport and storage.
Engine Examination
On December 7, 2010, the engine was examined and functionally tested at AvTech Services in Kent, Washington. For the test, an alternate fuel source was used, consisting of an auxiliary fuel tank and supply fuel line routed directly to the fuel selector valve. After multiple attempts, the engine started and operated at varied power settings from idle to full power, but continuous operation for more than one to two minutes was not achieved. The reason for the non-continuous operation was not determined. No additional anomalies were noted during the functional test and examination.
Performance Reference
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Approved Flight Manual for the accident airplane specifies a recommended landing approach speed of 74 mph.