Airplane Departed The Right Side Of The Runway Onto Grass, Crossed A Taxiway, Hit A Ditch And A Taxiway Sign Which Collapsed The Nose Landing Gear

Location: Franklin, NC Accident Number: ERA25LA061
Date & Time: November 28, 2024, 10:19 Local Registration: N907EJ
Aircraft: Beech B300 Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On November 28, 2024, about 1019 eastern standard time, a Beech B300, N907EJ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Franklin, North Carolina. The airline transport pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14?Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot stated that prior to departure he exercised ground fine pitch of the propeller blades to allow for normal deceleration while taxiing and both worked, “…perfectly fine and in tandem.” The flight departed en route to the destination airport and although Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data ended when the flight was about 3 nautical miles south-southeast of the destination airport, which was equipped with Virtower, an airport operations tracking system. The Virtower system tracked the airplane flying east of the airport then turning left consistent with entering the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern for runway 7. The pilot noted the last automated weather observing system (AWOS) report he received as he overflew the airport was that the wind was from 360° at 12 knots with gusts to 18 knots which was verified by the windsock. He also reported encountering light to moderate terrain induced turbulence on approach and landing.

The pilot reported the airplane was on the final approach leg of the airport traffic pattern, with the propeller controls set to 1,500 rpm, and the flaps to full. The pilot reported that the airplane was at 114 knots indicated airspeed at 50 ft, while the Virtower data reflected the airplane’s groundspeed was 130 knots just past the runway threshold. The pilot indicated that the flight touched down just past the aiming point marking which was confirmed by video evidence, reporting the speed at touchdown as 112 knots, which was his calculated Vref speed plus 10 knots. The Virtower data reflected that the groundspeed was 120 knots just before the aiming point marking. The pilot reported that after touchdown, left aileron input remained for crosswind control and he pushed each propeller control full forward and selected Beta propeller blade angle. He did not feel a reduction in the overall speed of the airplane while in Beta, and then applied maximum reverse for both propellers.

The Virtower data reflected that after touchdown the airplane remained on the runway centerline until after 1018:29 when the airplane was at 110 knots groundspeed. Between that data point and the next Virtower data point at 1018:33 when the groundspeed was 90 knots, the airplane’s ground track began to veer to the right which the pilot reported he sensed as asymmetric thrust by the left engine/propeller, despite full left deflection of rudder, and maximum braking. Video evidence that depicted a portion of the landing roll and the accident sequence showed gray colored smoke trailing the left main landing gear while on the runway. 

The airplane departed the right side of the runway onto grass, crossed a taxiway, hit a ditch and a taxiway sign which collapsed the nose landing gear. The pilot shut down the engines and removed electrical power to the airplane. A weather observation taken at the destination airport about 4 minutes before the accident reported the wind from 320° at 7 knots, gusting to 15 knots, winds variable 290° to 360°, while an observation taken about 1 minute after the accident reported the wind from 340° at 7 knots, winds variable 320° to 020°.

Preliminary examination of the airplane revealed that the inboard tire of the left main landing gear exhibited flat spotting through the tread, consistent with a sliding tire. The airplane was equipped with a Garmin primary flight display installed at the pilot and co-pilot’s positions and a multi-function display; all contained a Secure Digital (SD) card. The airplane was also equipped with a cockpit voice recorder (CVR). The SD cards and CVR were retained and shipped to the NTSB’s Vehicle Recorders Division for read-out.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov