N50JMBeech V35B · 1978

On October 20, 2022, about 1258 mountain standard time, a Beechcraft V35B airplane, N50JM, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Nogales, Arizona. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the passenger was hospitalized with serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that he was returning from Tarkio, Missouri (K57) on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan. At 1252, the pilot canceled VFR flight following, announced his intentions on the common traffic advisory frequency for Nogales International Airport (OLS), Nogales, Arizona, and entered the left downwind for runway 21. He lowered the landing gear and confirmed 3 green landing gear lights with his passenger after he turned to the base leg of the airport traffic pattern. At this time, the aural landing gear warning system confirmed the landing gear was down for landing.

The pilot reported that during touchdown the airplane immediately “flopped down” and veered to the left. The pilot applied right brake and rudder to try regain the runway centerline, but he decided to perform an aborted landing. He applied full power and raised the landing gear. Striations on the runway, which were consistent with propeller strike marks, were observed about 150 ft beyond the 1,000-foot markers of runway 21. The pilot reported that the airplane was unable to gain airspeed and decided to land off the airport. After he circled around to the north via the east side of the airport, he was still unable to gain airspeed and executed a forced landing to an open field about 0.5 nm north of the approach end of runway 21. The airplane came to rest on its belly and was oriented on a northeast heading. A postcrash fire ensued and the airplane subsequently exploded.

One witness reported that he watched the airplane make what was apparently a normal landing, but then he heard the engine rev up and saw the landing gear retracted. He stated that he saw the right side of the airplane on fire after the aborted landing. Another witness observed the airplane flying in a nose-high attitude at a very low altitude during the balked landing. He reported that the airplane was “on the edge of a stall, his gear was up, barely hanging on at about 10-30 feet above the ground.” He did not observe the airplane on fire until after the impact with terrain.

Postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact anomalies with the flight control system. The rudder control system cables were traced from the cockpit to the rudder through cable cuts made by recovery personnel. Although fire damaged, the right main landing gear linkages were continuous from the landing gear actuator to the landing gear. The left main landing gear linkages were continuous from the actuator to the left main landing gear through an overload separation at the drive tube near the left-wing root. The landing gear and brake systems were destroyed by fire and could not be examined due to lack of available evidence.

Postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical anomalies. In addition, the pilot and witnesses who observed the aborted landing said the engine sounded like it was developing full power.

Each propeller blade displayed deformation about 20 inches from its blade root. Bending, curling, and chordwise scratching was consistent with that of damage to a propeller with an engine developing full power. There were no tire marks associated with the accident airplane found on the runway; however, the runway had propeller strike markings consistent with that of an engine developing full power while traveling down, and in contact with, the runway.

Figure 1. Flight path after go-around is initiated.