No fatalities

9 Jul 2011: BEECH N35 — Geneseo, NY

Geneseo, NY, United States

On 9 Jul 2011, a BEECH N35 was involved in an aviation accident near Geneseo, NY. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 10 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a formation flight to an air show, a pilot lost sight of the lead aircraft on short final, stalled while maneuvering to regain visual contact, and landed hard, causing structural damage.

Incident Details

According to the pilot, he and a friend had pre-arranged a formation flight to attend an air show. The pilot stated that he performed formation flying frequently. While on short final approach to the runway, he lost sight of the lead airplane in the formation and veered to the left in an attempt to reestablish visual contact. During this sidestepping maneuver approximately 20 feet above the ground, the airplane stalled. The pilot applied full power to recover from the stall. The left wing tip then contacted the ground, and the airplane landed hard, skidding for about 100 yards before coming to a stop.

Investigation Findings

An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration examined the aircraft and documented structural damage to the left wing. The engine also sustained significant damage. The report did not specify aircraft type, registration, or any injuries. No probable cause was determined by the investigator.

Contributing factors

PilotAirspeed — Not attained/maintained