The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Cincinnati, Ohio
Continental Engines; Mobile, Alabama
Mel Aviation LLC
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Accident Number: CEN20LA148
Date & Time: April 16, 2020, 11:45 Local
Registration: N66FN
Aircraft: Beech 36
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On April 16, 2020, about 1145 Eastern standard time, a Beech A36, N66FN, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Cincinnati, Ohio. The pilot was not injured. The
airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported that he was flying the airplane from Indianapolis, Indiana (UMP), to Cincinnati, Ohio (LUK), where maintenance was to be performed. During the flight, the pilot was performing an altitude leaning schedule to attempt to diagnose high exhaust gas temperature (EGT) readings. Enroute, the pilot performed step-up climbs to 14,000 ft to record power settings. After completing the schedule of tests, the pilot was descending to about 2,500 ft and noticed an "unusual" vibration that he had not experienced before. After checking the engine analyzer, he noticed that one of the engine cylinders was not producing EGT. A few moments later, another cylinder dropped offline, and then a 3rd cylinder. Cylinders continued to drop offline and then the engine "quit."
The pilot was not able to restart the engine and declared an emergency. The airplane was over a heavily populated area just north of downtown Cincinnati, so the pilot maneuvered the airplane for an emergency landing on a roadway. Upon landing, the left wing struck a wooden post along the edge of the roadway. The nose pitched to the left and the airplane landed hard on the right main landing gear and the nose landing gear, resulting in a landing gear collapse. The airplane then pitched right, and struck another wooden post on the opposite side of the roadway with the right wing. The nose of the airplane contacted a concrete bridge abutment and the airplane slid under an overpass. The pilot secured the fuel and master switch and exited the airplane.
A Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector examined the airplane and engine. He reported that the top spark plugs were removed and compression was verified to the cylinders. The air intake hoses and clamps were verified secure and tight and no obstruction were noted. The magnetos were verified to spark at all terminals. The engine controls were checked to be free and had full travel. The mixture control screen was removed and found to be free of debris. The fittings and hoses were checked for security on the mixture control, fuel manifold valve, and fuel pump. Both the fuel inlet and fuel outlet fittings on the fuel control were found to be loose, and could be turned by hand. No adjacent impact damage was noted in the area of the loose fittings. According to maintenance records, the fuel pump had been removed and replaced on April 14, 2020, 2 days prior to the accident.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Beech
Registration: N66FN
Model/Series: 36 A36
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On fil
e Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: LUK,483 ft msl
Observation Time: 11:20 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 7 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 7°C /-6°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 10 knots / , 240°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.36 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Indianapolis, IN (UMP)
Destination: Cincinnati, OH (LUK)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 39.210834,-84.459999
CINCINNATI (FOX19) - I-75 northbound reopened Thursday night following the crash of a small plane near Ronald Reagan Highway.
The Beechcraft A36 Bonanza was moved to the ramp from I-75 north to Galbraith Road so it remains closed.
The plane was forced to make an emergency landing on the expressway around 11:20 a.m., according to Cincinnati Police Lt. Chris Ruehmer.
Police say the pilot has been identified as John Bennett, 61, of Indianapolis. He was able to get out of the plane safely.
He remained on the scene to help with the investigation, according to Cincinnati police.
They say Bennett lost power to the plane’s single-engine.
There was no fire, just significant structural damage to the plane, Lt. Ruehmer said.
It did not hit any vehicles on I-75.Traffic on northbound I-75 was diverted at Ronald Reagan Highway for more than six hours.
“It was like out of the blue. We did not expect that,” witness Mikel Emery said. “The plane was coming through the trees. He hit the pole, spent out of control, and hit the highway wall across the highway.”
Emery’s family initially feared for their lives, “We thought it was over because we were so close,”.
Lt. Ruehmer says he was told the pilot was coming from Indianapolis and he was taking his plane to Lunken Airport for maintenance.
The plane is owned by Mel Aviation LLC out of Indianapolis, according to the FAA.
Police say it’s a 1996 Beechcraft Bonanza A36 that seats six.
Aviation expert Jay Ratliff told FOX19 NOW the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, or NTSB, will conduct an investigation that will likely take months to complete.
“They’ll be looking at the fuel, to see if there were any fuel contaminants, along with the mechanical situation of the aircraft. And again, It’s going to take a great deal of time for them to determine what took place,” Ratliff said.
During the investigation, they will also take a long look at the pilot himself.
“They’ll basically have medical tests to make sure the pilot was not under the influence of any medication or anything like that that might have impaired his ability to fly," Ratliff said.
https://www.fox19.com
CINCINNATI — Police said it's very fortunate the pilot of a small airplane was able to safely crash-land it on northbound Interstate 75 Thursday morning.
The pilot, a man in his 60s, was the only person on board, police said. He was not injured when he made an emergency landing near Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway just before noon. No one on the ground was hurt, either. But the highway was closed for eight hours until FAA investigators allowed the plane to be lifted onto a flatbed and carted away.
Lt. Steve Saunders said the Beechcraft A36 Bonanza probably had engine trouble and started to come down unexpectedly. The pilot was able to land without crashing into any drivers and come to a stop nose-first against a concrete barrier.
“I think we’re very fortunate that because of the stay-at-home order, the traffic volume on I-75 that would typically be very, very high was lower than normal especially during the height of the day, and that may have made the situation a little more advantageous for the pilot to bring the plane down on a major highway like I-75," Saunders said.
The plane was registered to Mel Aviation LLC of Indianapolis. The pilot's name has not been disclosed. It was not clear where the pilot took off or where he was headed.
Northbound I-75 finally reopened about 7:40 p.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration is assisting police and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
https://www.wcpo.com
Great outcome with zero safe options for put down. Obstacles galore!
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