Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor crash, Jul 18, 2009 (1 killed)
Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor accident on July 18, 2009 near Verdel, Nebraska, United States with 1 fatality. Cause: The pilot's decision to fly an...
- Date: July 18, 2009
- Aircraft: Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor
- Location: Verdel, Nebraska, United States
- Fatalities: 1
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: The pilot's decision to fly an airplane that was not airworthy and that he was not rated to fly, and his failure to keep control during the forced landing after an engine failure caused by a failed connecting rod.
The owner-pilot was ferrying his 1944 Beech multi-engine aircraft to another airport for an overdue annual inspection with a passenger aboard. Soon after takeoff from Verdel the right engine vibrated violently, and the pilot made a forced landing in a pasture. The aircraft caught fire and both engines separated, and the passenger was killed. The pilot had no multi-engine rating and had never flown this aircraft alone before.