JM993

Gotta ask - will you ever fly again? I know I wouldn't if I had an experience like that, but frankly, I try to avoid air travel as much as I can anyway.

EMBPilot

lol! +1!

Van1

I know it was primarily the V tail that earned the Bonanza the title of "Doctor Killer" but I think the point is these are the Rolls Royce's of SEL airplanes and attract those with more money than skill.

Hoserpilot

When I got my private license more than 20 years ago my grandmother gave me the accident report from my grandfathers death. He was a passenger in a bonanza flying in the Canadian Rockies. Pilot only had 900 hours and did the 'ol vfr into imc in mountainous terrain. British Columbia is beautiful but has some very high and remote terrain. After 14000 hours of flying I still think about the lesson learned from his death.

I'm on the hunt for a hangar and then an Stinson 108-3. Gotta fly something low and slow. Although my maddog is a real flying plane I miss grass strips and hangar talk.

Sorry about your beautiful Bonanza. BlueTtop, glad to hear you are OK from your accident.

Time to go for a drive in the German Mistress! Gotta buy pumpkins to carve tonight!!! Hmm, wonder if I could make a Porsche pumpkin?

ABCar

As a new pilot I hate hearing these stories...However all incentives are good incentives to be vigilant and conservative when flying.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Complacency, hubris, and ego lie at the root of almost all aircraft accidents (barring mechanical failures).

Ed Hughes

Wow, glad you survived the float plane crash!


Did someone mention "low and slow"? After about 10 crow hops, the biggest thrill of my life was holding back on the stick.

mike cap

Wow, quite a story and glad you recovered. No apologies needed. Yours was truly an "accident". Mangling 57W was stupidity and carelessness. I have gone around many times if a landing wasn't looking or feeling good to me.

If you have to fly single engine, the way to go is Beech, IMO. I will take this sentimental post to (for once) agree with Quadcammer - William Boeing and Walter Beech build tough airplanes.

billqj

Hey Mike,

That is a pretty A36, I know you must miss it a lot, and tho you don't own it now seeing it wrecked is bad. I had Bonanzas and B55 and E55 Barons.....the Barons are almost identical to Bonanzas except bigger tails and 2 engines, but still that perfect control feel. I suppose Bonanza = 993, Baron = 996TT.

Bill

RudyP

So you'd rather fly this:



Than this:





Can't possibly imagine something I could disagree with you more about.

mike cap

Thanks Bill. The 55 Baron is a beauty and an absolute rocket ship - the plane that an A36 owner would love to have. You are a lucky man to have flown those Barons. I disagree with your comparison, thought - A36 = 993C2, B55 = 993TT.

Van1

So what is the B58? The 993 TTS? I worked for a flying club/FBO in the early '90s that had 30 airplanes. We had a few late 60's V tail Bonanzas and a '89 A36. We also had a nice B58 Baron. It was a POS when I first started but after a new paint job and interior it was a real nice plane.

cbcc

Never a good thing to loose such a beautiful Bird.
I fly a WWII Aeronca L3 - tail dragger that always keeps me honest.
She is not fast - 80 knts top speed , stall at 35 knts and always needs constant
flying down to shut down. For those pilots who are not tail drager certified - would highly recommend getting such certification.
I own a 1995 993 cab with manual transmission because I enjoy the organics of shifting and the sound of the flat six air knocker - much like my Aeronca L3. Hand propping is also very organic!

mike cap

The B58 is a long fuselage Baron - same fuselage as the A36. But you know that already.

The single engine version of Bill's 55 Barons would be the F33A - the short fuselage Bonanza. IMO, the best looking Bonanza ever made - and that from a former V35B owner too. Just gotta watch that loading envelope on the F33A and V35B - it's about t-h-i-s wide and can be quite a handful to fly aft of CG. Scared me a couple of times.

The long fuselage Bonanza solved this problem, hence the A36.

Sorry about the boring Beechcraft trivia.

NC TRACKRAT

Mike Cap mentioned Walter Beech...He founded the company but sadly, died early on. It was his wife, Olive Anne, who kept the company alive and growing. I had the pleasure of meeting her on a couple of occasions...a very classy and extremely intelligent lady....One of the true pioneers of the aviation industry like Clyde Cessna. Sports, Bonanzas, Barons, Dukes, Queen and King Airs...brings back fond memories. I left before Raytheon took over. Back then, the airframe industry in Wichita was one great big fraternity. Seems everyone knew everyone...even if you worked for a competing company, you were still friendly to one another.