The National Transportation Safety Board’s interim factual report of the March 17, 2013 crash of a Beechcraft Premier 1A at South Bend (SBN), Ind., said both engines flamed out during the aircraft’s first approach to the airport. A restart appeared to bring back one engine just before the tower controller commanded a go-around.
According to the cockpit-voice-recorder transcript, the instrument-rated private pilot, who had logged approximately 613 hours' total time and operated the jet single-pilot, was giving instruction to the pilot in the right seat. During the first visual approach, the right-seat pilot, in an attempt to slow the airplane, pulled the throttles beyond the flight-idle position and into cutoff, flaming out both engines. A single engine restart appeared to have been successful as the aircraft descended toward the airport.
On final approach however, the tower controller called for a go-around because only the nose gear appeared to be fully extended. The aircraft entered right traffic for Runway 9R but bounced numerous times on the runway following the second approach, according to witnesses. The aircraft then began a climbing right turn that ended with the crash into homes near the airport.
The pilot and pilot-rated passenger in the cockpit perished in the accident. Both passengers in the cabin survived, but were injured. One person on the ground also was injured.
This story has been updated to clarify the fatalities and injuries.