History of Flight
On October 18, 2023, at approximately 1511 eastern daylight time, a Beech 300 aircraft, registration N93GA, was substantially damaged during a runway excursion at an airport near Atlanta, Georgia. The airline transport pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a business flight.
The pilot reported that during the approach for landing, the airplane's speed was 162 knots at 500 feet above ground level, which exceeded the speed for full flap extension. He elected to perform a normal half-flaps landing. He later stated that he was following a jet on final approach and was flying a slightly high approach path with partial flaps, anticipating a potential go-around. The airplane touched down "slightly long," but the pilot believed there was sufficient runway to stop.
Review of flight track data indicated that the airplane crossed the runway displaced threshold at a calibrated airspeed of 150 knots, which was 30 knots faster than the pilot-reported conservative no-flaps landing approach speed (120 knots) and 34 knots faster than the published no-flap approach speed for the airplane's weight. The airplane touched down about 1,000 feet past the displaced threshold at 135 knots calibrated airspeed.
After touchdown, the pilot moved each power lever to the ground fine position but did not hear the normal propeller pitch change nor detect deceleration. He applied the brakes and then "stood on the toe brakes" and applied maximum reverse. He later noted that selecting reverse was not normal for landing in this airplane. Track data showed the airplane did not slow to 100 knots calibrated airspeed until slightly more than 3,400 feet down the runway, with only about 1,600 feet of runway remaining. The pilot could not stop before rolling past the departure end, across the displaced threshold, and into an engineered material arresting system (EMAS) at a groundspeed of about 40 knots. The airplane came to rest in the EMAS in a nose-low attitude.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was equipped with avionics capable of recording flight and engine data, but a secure digital (SD) card was missing from the appropriate slot, so no data were available for the accident flight. The airplane had five-blade, constant-speed, full-feathering and reversing propellers. The Flight Manual Supplement for the propeller installation stated no change to the constant speed propeller governor or constant speed unit (CSU), and performance was equal to or better than the baseline airplane. According to the propeller manufacturer, with propeller levers full forward, the propeller remained governed to about 100 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS).
The Pilot's Operating Handbook and FAA-Approved Airplane Flight Manual (POH/AFM) specified that, during normal landing, propeller levers be placed full forward. After touchdown, power levers were to be lifted and moved aft into the ground fine position for optimum deceleration from maximum propeller drag. The systems description indicated that at touchdown, activation of the low pitch stop solenoid by the right squat switch allowed blade angle movement from flight idle low pitch stop to ground idle low pitch stop only when the propeller was no longer governed by the CSU and when the power lever was moved from Flight Idle to Ground Fine.
The pilot reported a landing weight of 10,836 pounds. The POH/AFM published Vref speeds at 11,000 pounds for a 3° approach with flaps down and up were 93 knots and 116 knots, respectively. No landing distance chart existed for the approach flaps setting.
A review of over 90 days of electronic flight logs, including the accident flight, showed no comments regarding propeller blade angle below flight idle. Excluding the accident flight, the pilot was listed as flight crew on 28 of 29 flights. He stated he had not experienced any landing sequence anomaly with the ground fine propeller setting in previous landings.
Meteorological Information
Aviation surface observation reports taken about 18 minutes before and 42 minutes after the accident reported calm wind and wind variable at 5 knots, respectively. A one-minute wind report at the accident time indicated wind from 330° magnetic at 1 knot.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Postaccident examination revealed that all main landing gear tires were deflated, and the outer tire on each main landing gear exhibited flat-spotting through the tread. The nose landing gear wheel and tire assembly, with fork, axle, and attached lower knee, separated from the nose landing gear and was found near the main wreckage. The right engine assembly was displaced downward with structural damage behind and at the firewall.