Beech A36 N8152R accident near Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during an attempted go-around, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain and a parked airplane.

NTSB analysis

The purpose of the flight was to demonstrate the airplane’s flight characteristics to the pilot-rated passenger, who was interested in purchasing a share of the airplane. Both the pilot and the pilot-rated passenger reported that the preflight, takeoff, and local flight were uneventful. When returning to the departure airport, the pilot extended the landing gear, and fully extended the flaps. During the landing attempt, when the airplane was about 3 ft above the runway, the pilot reported the airplane suddenly ballooned about 20 ft into the air. The pilot decided to perform a go-around and applied full throttle, retracted the landing gear, and partially raised the flaps. The pilot then reported that he felt the airplane “drop out from under me.” The airplane then impacted the ground to the left of the runway and slid into a parked airplane before coming to rest, resulting in substantial damage to the accident airplane’s left wing and fuselage.

The accident was partially captured by video surveillance. The airplane was first seen in a shallow climb. Shortly after, it began to descend, and the wings began to rock back and forth. As the airplane neared the ground, the airplane pitched up, and then impacted the ground near the runway. The wings rocking back and forth were consistent with the airplane nearing an aerodynamic stall, and when the airplane pitched up, it resulted in a full aerodynamic stall.

Postaccident examination of the airframe, and an examination and test run of the engine, revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the propeller showed signatures that were consistent with the high rotational energy at the time of impact.

The airplane was equipped with an engine data monitor that recorded the accident flight; however, due to the low recording frequency, it did not capture at least the last 8 seconds of the flight. Shortly before the data stopped recording, the engine rpm and manifold pressure rose sharply to 2,606 rpm and 22.9 inches of manifold pressure. While this is not the maximum rpm or a manifold pressure expected for full power; since the engine run showed the engine was capable of reaching full power, it is likely that the data recording did not capture the engine accelerating to full power.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA25LA053 for the full record.