At 1610 Pacific time, the airplane impacted terrain while maneuvering at low altitude. The pilot and four passengers were killed, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual conditions prevailed. Witnesses reported the pilot had taken four friends attending an outdoor working party on a local flight. The airplane made two to three passes over the work party. On the final pass, witnesses reported the airplane was between 100 and 300 feet agl. The airplane made a sudden steep climbing left turn, appeared to decelerate at the top of the climbing turn, then dropped towards the ground nose-first, impacting a field. The engines could be heard “running perfectly” throughout the maneuver.
May 9, 2009, Minden, Nev., Beech 95-A55 Baron
Witnesses reported the pilot had taken four friends attending an outdoor working party on a local flight. The airplane made two to three passes over the work party. On the final pass, witnesses reported the airplane was between 100 and 300 feet agl. The airplane made a sudden steep climbing left turn, appeared to decelerate at the top of the climbing turn, then dropped towards the ground nose-first, impacting a field. The engines could be heard "running perfectly" throughout the maneuver.
Key Takeaways:
- A low-altitude airplane crash resulted in the death of the pilot and four passengers.
- The accident occurred while the pilot was performing multiple low passes over an outdoor work party for friends.
- The plane crashed after a sudden steep climbing left turn where it appeared to decelerate and then dropped nose-first, even though the engines were heard running perfectly.
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