What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft took off, started left turn back to airport, crashed. (.4)the flight was part of a pre-buy inspecion of the airplane. Witnesses reported the airplane did not climb more than 200 feet above groung level (AGL) after takeoff. The airplane entered a shallow left turn and completed about 210 degrees of heading change before it impacted a flat field near the approach end of runway 26. Witnesses reported that the landing gear were retracted and that the engines sounded like they running at hight power, but the airplane did not accelerate or climb normally. The airspeed was slow and 'mushy.' The engines gas generator sections exhibited strong rotational scoring. The engines power sections exhibited light rotational signatures. The left and right porpellers exhibited minimal leading edge damage. Both propellers exhibited high blade angles. The secondary low pitch stops (slps) had been instaled on the aircraft four days prior to the accident. A ground check, but no flight check, had been conducted. The slps sensors were found in the full aft position on the mounting bracket, not in the normal mid-range position. The slps control box installed on the aircraft was an up dated box and was incompatible with the existing wiring. The aircraft had liability insurance, but it did not have hull insurance. (-23) on August 12, 1997, at 11:53 central daylight time, a Beech BE-65-A90, N41VC, operated by south Texas aircraft, inc., was destroyed when it impacted terrain 1/4 mile from the Alice International Airport, Alice, Texas. Witnesses reported that the aircraft departed runway 13 but did not climb more than 200 feet above ground level (AGL). The airplane entered a shallow left turn and completed about 210 degrees of heading change before it impacted a field near the approach end of runway 26. The pilot, copilot, and two passengers were fatally injured. The 14 CFR part 91 flight departed Alice, Texas, on a local flight as part of an aircraft sales pre-buy flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF, STARTED LEFT TURN BACK TO AIRPORT, CRASHED. (.4)THE FLIGHT WAS PART OF A PRE-BUY INSPECION OF THE AIRPLANE. WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRPLANE DID NOT CLIMB MORE THAN 200 FEET ABOVE GROUNG LEVEL (AGL) AFTER TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A SHALLOW LEFT TURN AND COMPLETED ABOUT 210 DEGREES OF HEADING CHANGE BEFORE IT IMPACTED A FLAT FIELD NEAR THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 26. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WERE RETRACTED AND THAT THE ENGINES SOUNDED LIKE THEY RUNNING AT HIGHT POWER, BUT THE AIRPLANE DID NOT ACCELERATE OR CLIMB NORMALLY. THE AIRSPEED WAS SLOW AND 'MUSHY.' THE ENGINES GAS GENERATOR SECTIONS EXHIBITED STRONG ROTATIONAL SCORING. THE ENGINES POWER SECTIONS EXHIBITED LIGHT ROTATIONAL SIGNATURES. THE LEFT AND RIGHT PORPELLERS EXHIBITED MINIMAL LEADING EDGE DAMAGE. BOTH PROPELLERS EXHIBITED HIGH BLADE ANGLES. THE SECONDARY LOW PITCH STOPS (SLPS) HAD BEEN INSTALED ON THE AIRCRAFT FOUR DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. A GROUND CHECK, BUT NO FLIGHT CHECK, HAD BEEN CONDUCTED. THE SLPS SENSORS WERE FOUND IN THE FULL AFT POSITION ON THE MOUNTING BRACKET, NOT IN THE NORMAL MID-RANGE POSITION. THE SLPS CONTROL BOX INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT WAS AN UP DATED BOX AND WAS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE EXISTING WIRING. THE AIRCRAFT HAD LIABILITY INSURANCE, BUT IT DID NOT HAVE HULL INSURANCE. (-23) ON AUGUST 12, 1997, AT 11:53 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH BE-65-A90, N41VC, OPERATED BY SOUTH TEXAS AIRCRAFT, INC., WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN 1/4 MILE FROM THE ALICE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ALICE, TEXAS. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 13 BUT DID NOT CLIMB MORE THAN 200 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL). THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A SHALLOW LEFT TURN AND COMPLETED ABOUT 210 DEGREES OF HEADING CHANGE BEFORE IT IMPACTED A FIELD NEAR THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 26. THE PILOT, COPILOT, AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT DEPARTED ALICE, TEXAS, ON A LOCAL FLIGHT AS PART OF AN AIRCRAFT SALES PRE-BUY FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.