Beech TC-45J accident near Verdel, NE

On July 19, 2009, a Beech TC-45J (airplane) was involved in an accident near Verdel, NE. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

July 19, 2009

Place

Verdel, NE

Aircraft

Beech TC-45J · Airplane

Injuries

1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

42.807°N, 98.189°W

NTSB ID

20090720X94044

Official records · CEN09LA444

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

NTSB summary

On July 18, 2009, approximately 1905 central daylight time, a 1944 Beech TC-45J, N6688, was destroyed during a forced landing after a loss of engine power near Verdel, Nebraska. The pilot sustained serious injuries and the passenger was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight originated from the pilot's private airstrip in Lynch, Nebraska, approximately 1855. The pilot reported that he and his passenger (who had helped him restore the airplane) departed from his private airstrip en route to O’Neil, Nebraska, where the airplane was going to be dropped off for an annual inspection. He did not obtain an FAA issued ferry permit for this flight. Approximately 5-10 minutes after departure, at an altitude of approximately 500 feet above ground level, the right engine “started vibrating.” The pilot said the engine started to shake so badly he thought it was going to come off the airplane. Due to the low altitude, he elected to land in a field but “something went wrong during the landing.” An on-scene examination of the airplane was performed by two Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors. According to an inspector, the airplane came to rest in a pasture and a post-impact fire consumed the fuselage. Both of the radial engines had separated from the airframe and sustained impact damage. The pilot reported that he had topped off the airplane’s fuel tanks 2-3 days prior to the accid

Probable cause

The pilot's improper decision to fly an airplane that was not airworthy and for which he was not properly rated to operate, and his failure to maintain control of the airplane during a forced landing to a field following an engine failure. Contributing to the accident was the failed cylinder connecting rod.

More accidents in NE

• Piper PA-32R-300, Oct 16, 1993
• Piper PA-31, Apr 14, 1986
• Raytheon Aircraft Company 58, Jan 11, 2013
• Cessna 210H, Jan 19, 1986
• Beech C35, Jun 17, 1984

Browse: Nebraska · Beech aircraft

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.