Beech N35 N564T accident near Madisonville, Tennessee

Probable cause

The pilot's unstable approach and delayed decision to go-around. Contributing to the accident was the unporting of the fuel supply following a forward slip maneuver during the approach, which resulted in the loss of engine power during the go-around.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during a simulated loss of engine power landing, the airplane was too fast and high, so he performed a forward slip to the left to increase the descent rate. The airplane touched down on the runway with less than 1/3 of its distance remaining and immediately bounced back into the air. The pilot added power to initiate a go-around; however, the engine did not respond, and the airplane subsequently descended into trees and terrain beyond the departure end of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to both wings.

Examination revealed no anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation, and the engine produced normal power during a test run. Thus, it is likely that the fuel unported from the right tank following the forward slip to the left, and the fuel supply was interrupted as the pilot attempted the go-around. The accident would have likely been prevented if the pilot had performed a go-around earlier during the approach, when he realized that the airplane was too high and too fast to safely land on the available runway.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA20LA018 for the full record.