At about 1700 eastern time, a Beech A45 (civilian T-34 Mentor) overran the runway while landing at the Merritt Island Airport. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said he reduced power and descended from 3,000 feet in anticipation of landing. At around 2,000 feet, oil and grease covered the windscreen and the propeller separated. He slipped the airplane to lose altitude and to see the runway. The aircraft touched down at around the midpoint of the runway and was going too fast to stop before it rolled off the end of the runway and into a ditch. Postcrash examination of the aircraft showed both propeller blades were missing and the propeller hub was still attached to the engine.
February 21, Merritt Island, Fla. / Beech A45
At about 1700 eastern time, a Beech A45 (civilian T-34 Mentor) overran the runway while landing at the Merritt Island Airport. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The pilot said he reduced power and descended from 3,000 feet in anticipation of landing. At around 2,000 feet, oil and grease covered the windscreen and the propeller separated. He slipped the airplane to lose altitude and to see the runway. The aircraft touched down at around the midpoint of the runway and was going too fast to stop before it rolled off the end of the runway and into a ditch. Postcrash examination of the aircraft showed both propeller blades were missing and the propeller hub was still attached to the engin...
Key Takeaways:
- A Beech A45 (T-34 Mentor) overran the runway at Merritt Island Airport after its propeller separated in flight, covering the windscreen with oil and grease.
- Faced with a sudden loss of power and obscured visibility, the pilot executed a slip maneuver to descend and try to see the runway for landing.
- The aircraft touched down at the runway's midpoint and was traveling too fast to stop, causing it to roll off the end of the runway and into a ditch.
- Both the pilot and passenger were uninjured in the incident, despite the aircraft's propeller blades being missing post-crash.
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