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 exemplifies a classic VMC rollover accident caused by the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed above minimum controllable speed (VMC) after an engine failure shortly after takeoff.
• Safe one-engine-inoperative (OEI) flight demands precise control inputs, including maintaining best single-engine rate of climb speed (VYSE), appropriate rudder, and a slight bank toward the operating engine to counteract yaw and minimize drag.
• Effective OEI management requires minimizing drag by properly configuring the aircraft (gear/flaps up, propeller feathered) and, crucially, making the decision to land straight ahead at low altitude, even if it results in airframe damage, rather than attempting to salvage an unsafe climb.

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