Beech 95 B55 accident near Statesville, North Carolina, September 14, 2017
On September 14, 2017 at about 2:00 pm local time, a 1976 Beech 95 B55, registered N2182L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Statesville, North Carolina (Statesville Rgnl airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain pitch control of the airplane during landing, which resulted in a bounced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 2017 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Statesville, North Carolina · Statesville Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95 B55 (T42A), built 1976 · all 95 B55s on the register
- Registration
- N2182L · registry record · serial TC-1996
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot in the multi-engine airplane reported that the airplane touched down on the runway and she felt the application of aft yoke pressure. She looked over and saw that her right front seat passenger was "clenching the yoke with both fists." She reported that the airplane bounced once, and she aborted the landing. She flew one pattern and landed the airplane, and then she taxied to parking. According to the single-engine, pilot-rated passenger in the right front seat, during the initial touchdown, both engines remained at high rpm, and the airplane was drifting to the right side of the runway. The airplane bounced, and the pilot took the engines to idle. The airplane bounced again "very hard" on the nose landing gear. The airplane bounced a third time and landed "violently" on the nose landing gear. He reported that he felt the need to prevent a fourth runway impact, and he grabbed the yoke and applied aft pressure to minimize the rate of descent. The pilot in the left seat subsequently applied full power and aborted the landing. She flew one pattern and landed the airplane, then she taxied to parking. According to the passenger seated in the right rear seat, the approach was normal, but the initial touchdown was "forceful" and the airplane bounced. The airplane felt like it landed on the nose landing gear followed by the main landing gear and bounced a second time "much harder." A third bounce ensued, and it was the hardest. He heard the engines spool up and observed the pilot abort the landing. She flew one pattern and landed the airplane, and then she taxied to parking. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, just below the windscreen. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Passenger
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,018 hours in all; 66 in this make and model; 176 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 1,883 as pilot in command; 985 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 31, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: 92 Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: ILM Wilmington NC at 12:48 pm
- Destination: SVH Statesville NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28, 7,003 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from KSVH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA17CA579.