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 fatal VMC rollover accident highlights the critical importance for multi-engine pilots to understand and maintain airspeeds at or above the minimum controllable airspeed (VMC) and best single-engine rate of climb speed (VYSE) when an engine fails.
• Safe one-engine-inoperative (OEI) flight requires proficiency in multi-engine aerodynamics, including managing the critical engine, applying correct rudder and bank (towards the operating engine), and minimizing drag by feathering the propeller and retracting unnecessary components.
• Pilots must prioritize maintaining directional control and be prepared to make immediate decisions, such as landing straight ahead and accepting airframe damage, if an engine failure occurs at low altitude, as this can be preferable to attempting to salvage an uncontrollable situation.

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