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 Beech B60 Duke crash, a VMC rollover, highlights that loss of directional control in one-engine-inoperative (OEI) flight is often caused by failing to maintain the minimum controllable airspeed (VMC) and best single-engine climb speed (VYSE).
• Safe OEI flight requires meticulous aerodynamic management, including precise control inputs (rudder, banking towards the operating engine), and configuring for minimum drag (retracting gear/flaps, feathering the inoperative propeller).
• In an immediate engine failure after takeoff, prioritizing a safe straight-ahead landing—even with potential airframe damage—can be preferable to attempting an unrecoverable climb, and premature landing gear retraction should be avoided to preserve emergency landing options.

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