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 at 2,000 feet during the landing approach.
- The propeller separation caused oil and grease to cover the windscreen, forcing the pilot to slip the aircraft to regain visibility for an emergency landing.
- Despite the pilot and passenger being uninjured, the aircraft touched down too fast at the runway midpoint, resulting in it rolling off the end and into a ditch.
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