Beechcraft 58 N66568

Summary

On 1 July 2018 at about 16:00 local time, a Beechcraft 58 registered N66568 was involved in an accident near Mackinac Island, Michigan, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 July 2018 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Mackinac Island, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

MacKinac Island (MCD)

Coordinates

45.8633, -84.6442

Aircraft

Beechcraft 58

Registration

N66568

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mackinac Island → Chicago/West Chicago

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA18CA407

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to remove the pitot tube cover during the preflight inspection, which resulted in his delayed decision to reject the takeoff with insufficient runway remaining to safely stop the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the twin-engine airplane reported that, during the takeoff roll on the 3,500-ft-long runway, the airspeed indicator did not indicate an airspeed, so he rejected the takeoff. He added that he attempted to brake, but "full braking [was] not initially possible due to lift." Subsequently, the airplane overran the runway onto a downhill grassy area and struck a fence. During postaccident examination of the airplane, the pilot found that the pitot tube cover had not been removed before the flight. According to the manufacturer, the typical takeoff roll is about 1,336 ft, and the approximate landing roll is 1,440 ft. If the pilot had rejected the takeoff sooner, he likely could have stopped the airplane on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that his preflight memory list was: fuel, oil, tires, props, and surfaces and that he will now add "chocks, cowl plugs, pitot tube covers."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.