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 accident, a "classic VMC rollover," resulted from the pilot's failure to establish and maintain minimum controllable airspeed (VMC) and apply correct control inputs (e.g., banking toward the operating engine) after an engine failure shortly after takeoff.
• Safe one-engine-inoperative (OEI) flight requires pilots to thoroughly understand multi-engine aerodynamics, maintain critical airspeeds like VMC and VYSE, configure the aircraft optimally (e.g., feathering the prop, retracting gear/flaps only when safe), and utilize proper control techniques.
• The article underscores that in low-altitude engine failure scenarios, making the immediate decision to close throttles and land straight ahead, accepting potential airframe damage, can be preferable and safer than attempting to continue flight and salvage a dangerous situation.

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