Twin Takeoffs

Departing from a 4200-foot runway, the twin engine Beech B60 Duke lifted off after a 1500-foot takeoff roll. The landing gear was immediately retracted but at approximately 100 feet agl, a large puff of black smoke erupted from the left engine. Witnesses stated the airplane pitched up and then banked sharply to the left. At approximately 500 feet agl, the airplane banked 90 degrees to the left in a nose-down attitude, rolled inverted and impacted a building, killing the pilot and passengers. It was a classic VMC rollover accident, resulting from the pilot’s failure to establish and maintain an airspeed equal to or greater than the airplane’s minimum controllable airspeed in one engine inoperative (OEI) flight.

Key Takeaways:

• The fatal Beech B60 Duke accident was a classic VMC rollover, underscoring the critical importance of understanding and maintaining minimum controllable airspeed (VMC) and executing precise control inputs following an engine failure in multi-engine aircraft.
• Safe single-engine inoperative (OEI) flight requires thorough knowledge of multi-engine aerodynamics (e.g., critical engine, VMC, VYSE), applying correct control inputs (e.g., banking toward the operating engine, rudder), and configuring the aircraft for minimal drag (e.g., gear/flaps up, feathered propeller).
• Pilots must be prepared for engine failure after takeoff, recognizing that landing straight ahead (even if it means airframe damage) can be preferable to attempting an uncontrolled climb, and a pre-flight review of potential engine-out scenarios is essential for correct response.

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