Beechcraft BE-58 | N2063G

The DTSB determines the Probable Cause of this accident to be Pilot Error, in that the Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) accident pilot, while acting as PIC in the accident aircraft owner’s personal aircraft, did allow aircraft speed to decay well below safe minimums, while conducting an FAA required in flight maneuver called the Vmc Demonstration, whereupon the aircraft became fully stalled and did enter an aerodynamic stall, and spin, and was not recoverable from that entry altitude. The accident flight was a checkride being conducted for the accident aircraft owner’s benefit, and the DPE/PIC instructed this particular maneuver to be initiated well below published minimum safe altitude for this specific maneuver in this aircraft type.

The DTSB recommends that all pilots of all aircraft rehearse and condition themselves to avoid this scenario, and to recall that this FAA required maneuver is called a “VMC DEMONSTRATION” and should never be fully conducted to the point of actual loss of directional control during flight training or during check rides, to the extreme extent as was conducted during this accident flight. The DTSB recommends that the FAA discontinue this specific requirement on all FAA check rides. In the interim, the DTSB recommends that all DPE’s brief this maneuver with applicants but determine in flight if the applicant “exhibits” satisfactory knowledge, “exhibits” satisfactory risk management, and “exhibits” satisfactory skills based on their own assessment of what the applicant has “exhibited.” There is no actual requirement to actually lose directional control in flight. The FAA ACS requirement is merely to “exhibit” satisfactory skills, as opposed to “perform.” The FAA has never defined what the word “exhibit” means. The applicant need only “exhibit” sufficient knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with the VMC demonstration, as determined by the designated pilot examiner.
The FAA ACS is included here: “Task B. VMC Demonstration (AMEL, AMES) References: FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-25; FAA-P-8740-66; POH/AFM Objective: To determine the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with VMC demonstration.”
The DTSB strongly recommends that this VMC DEMONSTRATION “not” be attempted to the point of actual loss of directional control in any multi engine aircraft with powerplants greater than 150 HP per engine, due to the fact that if attempted, the aircraft will likely stall prior to reaching loss of directional control. A full aerodynamic stall with extreme differential thrust can result in an immediate flat spin that can require as much as 8,000 feet of altitude in order to recover, as was demonstrated in this fatal VMC DEMONSTRATION.
The DTSB recommends that DPE’s conclude each successful check ride by completing and collecting a pre prepared signed affidavit from each applicant that clearly indicates that all required ACS in flight maneuvers were completed, and a firm public applicant handshake and comment such as: “Nice Job, Best VMC DEMO I have ever seen.”