No fatalities

28 Jul 2019: Beech 36 A36 — Ponderosa 343 Llc — Richmond, VA

Richmond, VA, United States

On 28 Jul 2019, a Beech 36 A36 operated by Ponderosa 343 Llc was involved in an aviation accident near Richmond, VA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain lateral control and attain sufficient altitude to clear rising terrain during an attempted go-around. 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 aborted a landing when a stall warning horn sounded, mistaking it for a gear warning. Insufficient rudder input caused the airplane to drift left and impact terrain, resulting in substantial damage.

Accident Details

A pilot flying a retractable landing gear-equipped airplane reported that during landing, just before touchdown, the stall warning horn activated. Simultaneously, he heard a scraping sound and incorrectly identified the stall warning as the landing gear warning annunciator. This prompted the pilot to abort the landing and rapidly increase the throttle to full engine power.

Pilot Input and Control

During the go-around, the pilot acknowledged not applying enough right rudder to counteract the torque and p-factor effects. Consequently, the airplane drifted left of the asphalt runway and exited the paved surface. Although the airplane began to climb, it struck the rising terrain adjacent to the runway and skidded to a stop.

Aircraft Damage and Condition

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was otherwise functioning normally.

Pilot's Reflection

The pilot stated that he should have relied on the "three in the green" landing gear position indicators before aborting the landing. This remark suggests that the landing gear was likely extended and locked, and the pilot's attention was diverted by the stall warning and scraping sound.

Contributing factors

PilotLateral/bank control — Not attained/maintainedAltitude — Not attained/maintainedEffect on operation