# Accident 19970222001729A: Beech H18, Honolulu, HI, February 22, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 22, 1997, 06:23 local time
- Place: Honolulu, HI
- Airport: Honolulu International Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: PORA
- Location: 21.3490° N, 157.8792° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=21.3490&lon=-157.8792&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7969K, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7969K-2017-06-07) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech H-18 (registry code 1151012, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-h-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985 series (registry code 52008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r-985-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH H18
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,867 total, 142 in this make and model, 83 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX97FA108](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97FA108) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970222001729A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ACCORDING TO THE LOAD MAINFEST, THE AIRPLANE WAS LOADED WITH U.S. MAIL AND FREIGHT WITHIN 57 POUNDS OF ITS MAXIMUM TAKEOFF WEIGHT, AND ABOUT 3 INCHES FORWARD OF ITS AFT CG LIMIT. NO MALFUNCTIONS WERE NOTED DURING THE START OR TAXI, AND THE AIRCRAFT MADE A NEAR MIDFIELD INTERSECTION DEPARTURE FROM 8L AT 0622:35 LOCAL TIME. SECONDS EARLIER, A BOEING 747 HAD COMPLETED ITS LANDING ROLLOUT ON RUNWAY 4R WHICH CROSSED RUNWAY 8L NEAR ITS DEPARTURE END. THE CENTERFIELD LLWAS SENSOR SHOWED WINDS FROM 285 DEGREES AT 2 KNOTS. THE PILOT AND LOADER (A PRIVATE PILOT) SAID NOTHING UNUSUAL OCCURRED DURING THE TAKEOFF UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO 100 FEET AGL WHEN 'SUDDENLY THE AIRPLANE YAWED TO THE LEFT AS THOUGH THE LEFT ENGINE HAD LOST POWER. DESPITE APPLICATION OF FULL RIGHT RUDDER, DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST AND IT WAS NECESSARY TO DECREASE THE PITCH ATTITUDE BECAUSE OF SEVERE YAWING AND ROLLING TENDENCIES. THE AIRPLANES LEFT WING TIP IMPACTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, THE TRICYCLE GEAR COLLAPSED, THE AIRPLANE SLID TO A STOP, AND WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE. THE LOADER REPORTED THAT HE BEGAN WORK WITHOUT HAVING SLEPT THE PRECEDING NIGHT. BECAUSE OF THE FIRE DAMAGE, THE OPERATORS LACK OF RECORDSAND OPERATING PRACTICES, NEITHER THE TOTAL FUEL LOAD, THE FREIGHT ACTUAL WEIGHT, THE CARGOS PREIMPACT LOCATION WITHIN THE WRECKAGE, NOR THE ADEQUANCY OF THE CARGO TIE DOWN SYSTEM COULD BE VALIDATED. FAA MAINTAINED WEIGHT AND BALANCE DOCUMENTS WERE FOUND AT VARIANCE WITH DUPLICATE DOCUMENTS HELD BY THE OPERATOR. THE POWERPLANT EXAMINATION DID NOT REVEAL EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURES AND PROPELLER GROUND SCAR SIGNATURES ON THE RUNWAY INDICATED THAT BOTH ENGINES WERE OPERATING AT IMPACT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE PILOT LAST FLIGHT AS AN EMPLOYEE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX97FA108](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97FA108), Feb 22, 1997: Beech H18 (N7969K), Honolulu, HI, destroyed. Probable cause: loss of aircraft control for undetermined reason(s).

## Other reports on N7969K (3)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19950522021539I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950522021539I), May 22, 1995: Beech H18 (N7969K), Honolulu, HI, Minor damage. Rolled sharply after liftoff. Scraped wing tip. Aborted. 737 had just departed. Counseled on wake turbulence.
- [Incident 19900828042799I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900828042799I), Aug 28, 1990: Beech H18 (N7969K), Bakersfield, CA, Minor damage. Left main gear collapsed on rollout. Broken drag link was cause of partial gear collapse.
- [Incident 19870102001419I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870102001419I), Jan 2, 1987: Beech H18 (N7969K), Los Angeles, CA, Minor damage. Nose gear collapsed during taxi. Nose wheel came off bearings. Aircraft suspected to be out of annual.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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