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19970621046159A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Beech 77 · Ft Lauderdale, FL · June 21, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 21, 1997 · 08:35 local
Place
Ft Lauderdale, FL
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N1821B
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA97FA188
Reported as
Beech 77
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
46 total38 in this make and model33 in the last 90 days
N1821BRegistration cancelled Jun 11, 2013 · Beech 77S/N WA-291 · Built 1981Airframe modelBeech 77Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Shortly after takeoff aircraft was observed not climbing and the engine shutting on and off. The aircraft then turned towards the north. While flying north the left wing and nose of the aircraft dropped down and the aircraft entered a spin to the left. The aircraft collided with powerline and then a tree and the ground where it came to rest inverted. A small postcrash fire erupted in the engine area and was soon extinguished. (.4) witnesses heard the aircraft's engine 'shutting on and off' and 'sputtering' as the aircraft climbed shortly after takeoff. The aircraft was at a lower than normal altitude and appeared to be at a slow speed. The student pilot made a steep turn to the left, and witnesses stated he appeared to be trying to return to the airport. Subsequently, the aircraft collided with power lines as it was flying low over a roadway, then it impacted a tree and came to rest in the roadway. Postcrash examination of the engine, aircraft structure, and flight controls showed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction. The aircraft had been refueled prior to the flight, and uncontaminated fuel was found in the engine fuel system.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED NOT CLIMBING AND THE ENGINE SHUTTING ON AND OFF. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TURNED TOWARDS THE NORTH. WHILE FLYING NORTH THE LEFT WING AND NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A SPIN TO THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH POWERLINE AND THEN A TREE AND THE GROUND WHERE IT CAME TO REST INVERTED. A SMALL POSTCRASH FIRE ERUPTED IN THE ENGINE AREA AND WAS SOON EXTINGUISHED. (.4) WITNESSES HEARD THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE 'SHUTTING ON AND OFF' AND 'SPUTTERING' AS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT A LOWER THAN NORMAL ALTITUDE AND APPEARED TO BE AT A SLOW SPEED. THE STUDENT PILOT MADE A STEEP TURN TO THE LEFT, AND WITNESSES STATED HE APPEARED TO BE TRYING TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH POWER LINES AS IT WAS FLYING LOW OVER A ROADWAY, THEN IT IMPACTED A TREE AND CAME TO REST IN THE ROADWAY. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE, AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE, AND FLIGHT CONTROLS SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN REFUELED PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, AND UNCONTAMINATED FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE ENGINE FUEL SYSTEM.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA97FA188Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportFort Lauderdale, FLloss of engine power for undetermined reason(s), and failure of the student pilot to remain clear of obstructions, while attempting to make a forced landing.Jun 21, 1997 · Destroyed