In 1986, I flew a Beechcraft Baron 58 each night carrying canceled bank checks from Baltimore to Richmond, Virginia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Philadelphia and back to BWI, departing at about 10 p.m. and returning by 6 a.m. the next morning. I was part of a network of check-carrying general aviation aircraft that crisscrossed the nation each night.
Engine Trouble on a Nighttime Check Run
Key Takeaways:
- During a routine night flight carrying bank checks, the pilot experienced a catastrophic right propeller overspeed that led to the propeller violently ripping through the nose of his Beechcraft Baron 58.
- Amidst extreme shaking and initial difficulty feathering the damaged propeller, the pilot maintained control and successfully executed a single-engine emergency landing at Charlotte airport.
- Following the safe landing, the pilot prioritized the delivery of the bank checks before learning the propeller failure was due to an overdue overhaul and that an onboard oxygen bottle had narrowly escaped rupture.
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