Beechcraft Baron 55 down in Leyden MA, triple fatal

loganjvx

loganjvx

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piperpilot
Hello,

A Beechcraft Baron went down today in Greenfield Massachusetts at about 11:25am (1625z), tail number N7345R. The occupants of the plane were family friends. If anyone has any information regarding the crash please let me know.

Respectfully,
-Logan
 
We’re all pretty much working with the same information you are, and unfortunately anything concrete isn’t going to come soon.
aviation-safety.net

Loss of control Accident Beechcraft 95-B55 Baron N7345R,

On January 14, 2024, at 1125 eastern standard time, a Beechcraft 95-B-55 airplane, N7345R, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Leyden, Massachusetts. The flight instru...
aviation-safety.net

Sorry for your loss.
 
Any information would be appreciated. Right now I’ve gathered Live ATC, Flight Aware, ADSB, and I confirmed the occupants.

-Logan
 
Sorry for your loss. Do you have any possible knowledge about the nature of the flight? The flight path is....interesting and vfr into imc is what I'd suspect.
 
It was VFR into IMC, airliners were reporting bases at 4000’. Occupants were two senior flight instructors with lots of experience, and a student. They should’ve been able to handle the IMC, which is what I don’t understand. The plane was very well maintained and did not fly often for a flight school aircraft, maybe a couple of times a week.
 
loganjvx said:
It was VFR into IMC, airliners were reporting bases at 4000’. Occupants were two senior flight instructors with lots of experience, and a student. They should’ve been able to handle the IMC, which is what I don’t understand. The plane was very well maintained and did not fly often for a flight school aircraft, maybe a couple of times a week.
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Why do you say it was VFR in IMC? If bases were at 4000 like you report, they were most below that. Metars for close by airports seem to confirm bases were likely around 4000.
 
Airliners on approach procedures into Bradley were submitting reports of clouds under 4000’ with snow and mixed precip.
 
KBAF 10:53 10 mi 4900
KBAF 11:53 10 mi 4800
 
dcat127 said:
Why do you say it was VFR in IMC? If bases were at 4000 like you report, they were most below that. Metars for close by airports seem to confirm bases were likely around 4000.
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Fast moving cold front coming through mid-day with snow showers, white out conditions at times, and winds gusting in excess of 40-50knts. Around noon it was crossing the Connecticut River valley. That part of Massachusetts is rolling hills and low peaks, with that wind, turbulence could be extreme.
 
That’s what I suspect. Turbulence caused some sort of aerial deconstruction of the plane causing them to burn in. I just want to understand what happened to my friends.
 
Very sad.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Unfortunately you may never know. One by me the airport owner ended up in the trees short of the runway. Best guess is the setting sun got in his eyes. I think this one comes down to ADM.

In flight break ups are exceedingly rare.
 
It was raining in the morning and very windy all day in CT, except for a brief lull as the front went through. I didn't see a single plane in the air.
 
We don't even know where they were going and where they came from. It's possible that they departed Turner Falls and were on the climb out into the northwest airflow. There are lots of possibilities for lots of speculation at this point - and very little actual data to go by.
 
dbahn said:
We don't even know where they were going and where they came from. It's possible that they departed Turner Falls and were on the climb out into the northwest airflow. There are lots of possibilities for lots of speculation at this point - and very little actual data to go by.
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They departed KBAF and were flying up the local practice area.

Flight track is readily available on any of the available apps out there. ADSB exchange shows a fairly steep but short climb for the last couple data points, along with sharp decrease in altitude.
 
garrett5462 said:
They departed KBAF and were flying up the local practice area.

Flight track is readily available on any of the available apps out there. ADSB exchange shows a fairly steep but short climb for the last couple data points, along with sharp decrease in altitude.
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I didn't see any information about the registration number or any other details. Where was that released?
 
dbahn said:
I didn't see any information about the registration number or any other details. Where was that released?
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Tail Number is in the first post of this thread. Some local news here have limited news. More info is on facebook among local pilots and folks associated with the flight school.
 
Racerx said:
Sorry for your loss. Do you have any possible knowledge about the nature of the flight? The flight path is....interesting and vfr into imc is what I'd suspect.
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The flight path looks like a clearing turn followed by four steep turns (left, followed by an immediate right, with a pause before another to the left, and a pause before another to the right) with a strong wind aloft out of the west, which is elongating the eastbound segments.

I hate to say it, but the end of the track looks like a practice stall or another VMC demo gone bad, into a spin. Could possibly have entered IMC just before entering the spin.
 
Flying Keys said:
The flight path looks like a clearing turn followed by four steep turns (left, followed by an immediate right, with a pause before another to the left, and a pause before another to the right) with a strong wind aloft out of the west, which is elongating the eastbound segments.

I hate to say it, but the end of the track looks like a practice stall or another VMC demo gone bad, into a spin. Could possibly have entered IMC just before entering the spin.
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Some local chit chat is it was a power-on stall to a spin. No idea of the true cause though.
 
I can't speak to the accident. I was about 30 miles SW of there at about 3pm today. Weather was about 28F, light snow/freezing rain mix, ceiling looked under 4000'. I was only paying attention to the temps because the snow was starting to stick to the roads. On the ground, it was pretty windy. But in that area, weather can be a lot different in 3 hours and 30 miles away. Very sorry for you loss.
 
Flying Keys said:
The flight path looks like a clearing turn followed by four steep turns (left, followed by an immediate right, with a pause before another to the left, and a pause before another to the right) with a strong wind aloft out of the west, which is elongating the eastbound segments.

I hate to say it, but the end of the track looks like a practice stall or another VMC demo gone bad, into a spin. Could possibly have entered IMC just before entering the spin.
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That makes sense now that you mention it. There was a student and a MEI in the front, and another instructor in the back. It appears as if they were doing maneuvers. Stall spin could be likely, but I don’t suspect it. The instructor in the right seat had 13,000+ hours in everything from gliders, to jets, to helicopters and seaplanes.

***Has anyone been able to find anything on Live ATC other than their takeoff clearance out of Westfield. TWR 118.9, APRCH 125.35, and tail number N7345R
 
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loganjvx said:
That makes sense now that you mention it. There was a student and a MEI in the front, and another instructor in the back. It appears as if they were doing maneuvers. Stall spin could be likely, but I don’t suspect it. The instructor in the right seat had 13,000+ hours in everything from gliders, to jets, to helicopters and seaplanes.
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I've seen the aftermath (a few weeks later) from a pretty experienced DPE that was well respected that perished on a multi-engine checkride. It certainly seems that ME training occasionally bites high-timers just as it does rookies.

www.arkansasonline.com

Deadly North Little Rock plane crash blamed on loss of power | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

A small twin-engine aircraft on a training flight that crashed on May 5 at the North Little Rock Municipal Airport, killing one of its two occupants, apparently lost power in an engine shortly after takeoff and was returning to the airport when the accident happened, the National Transportation...
www.arkansasonline.com www.arkansasonline.com
 
Flying Keys said:
I hate to say it, but the end of the track looks like a practice stall or another VMC demo gone bad, into a spin. Could possibly have entered IMC just before entering the spin.
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Agree, it probably was something along those lines. Slow turn to left, so maybe left engine pulled back. Gained about 300-400 feet during the demo. Then, a little over 7000 FPM descent rate last moments of flight (1675 feet lost in 14 seconds). In the minute before that, ground speed and altitude changes suggest a possible entry and exit of a mild demo.
 
loganjvx said:
That makes sense now that you mention it. There was a student and a MEI in the front, and another instructor in the back. It appears as if they were doing maneuvers. Stall spin could be likely, but I don’t suspect it. The instructor in the right seat had 13,000+ hours in everything from gliders, to jets, to helicopters and seaplanes.

***Has anyone been able to find anything on Live ATC other than their takeoff clearance out of Westfield. TWR 118.9, APRCH 125.35, and tail number N7345R
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I listened to both of them for the 1600-1630 zulu timeframe, didnt hear anything from the Baron, nothing from the other Lugu plane that was out practicing either.

Listened to 122.7 also and no calls for maneuvering or anything like that.
 
Flying Keys said:
The flight path looks like a clearing turn followed by four steep turns (left, followed by an immediate right, with a pause before another to the left, and a pause before another to the right) with a strong wind aloft out of the west, which is elongating the eastbound segments.

I hate to say it, but the end of the track looks like a practice stall or another VMC demo gone bad, into a spin. Could possibly have entered IMC just before entering the spin.
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The number of occupants is what threw me off for a training flight and why I asked if OP knew the nature of the flight.

KBAF 141553Z 21014G25KT 10SM OVC049 02/M08 A2975 RMK AO2 PRESFR SLP080 T00171078
 
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Sad accident, it turned into a pretty crappy day, but not sure if that affected this flight.
 
This is sad, sorry for your loss, RIP
 
I'm seeing a bunch of folks in Juan's comment section as well as Hoover's screaming about how the FAA needs to stop requiring this type of training. Strictly looking at statistics I'm inclined to agree. And as an up-and-coming pilot myself with aspirations to go multi in the near future, this s*** scares me.
 
loganjvx said:
… aerial deconstruction….
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Right up there with rapid unscheduled disassembly and came from together; it shall be added to the lexicon.

My condolences on your loss. MTSB prelim should be out in about a month, the final in a couple years. Except for those two reports, all your likely to learn in public info and speculation.
 
Sorry to the OP

KE5BM said:
Strictly looking at statistics
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The metrics are skewed. Do you have data on the hours of successful twin training that occurs daily with these kinds of maneuvers?

Twins demand more. Unfortunately that means during training sometimes to use accidents will happen. I'm surprised they would try any kind of "exciting maneuver" with someone in the back though

But if the data is sourced and supports it, it might not be unreasonable to update training standards..
 
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