What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: on November 19, 1997, at 1636 CST, a Cessna 310-J s/n 310J0156 N156SD registered to Jefferson county sheriffs department, crashed on take off at Jefferson County Airport (bpt), while on a maintenance test flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the pilot was seriously injured. The flight originated at Jefferson County Airport (bpt), Beaumont, Texas. The maintenance test flight was for replacement of the center bearing p/n BC5W10 on the control column. At about 2400 feet down runway during climb aircraft pitched nose up and the engines made a sound as if over revving. Aircraft rolled and veered right. At about 110 feet off runway 12, right wing struck the ground and the aircraft burst into flames. Aircraft rolled wing over wing and slid for about 400 feet before coming to rest inverted. The FAA inspector in charge along with the Cessna tech rep inspected the pilots seat, control yoke, controls, and tabs and found no deficiencies. The pilot seat was removed, the seat tracks and seat pins were inspected and showed signs of wear. Due to the pilots height (6'5") the operator had the seat moved as FAR aft as possible. The elevator trim tab was in the up position, the aileron trim wheel was turned to the left. The aileron trim tab actuator was measured and found to be extended one inch. The control column had freedom of movement, after the control column was removed from the aircraft it was inspected for proper rigging and binding. No binding or improper rigging was noted. The engines ignition system and compression were checked with no deficiencies noted. The pilot stated that the aircraft did not have a loss of power. Most questions posed to the pilot resulted in "could not remember or did not know". (.4) the pilot lost control of the multiengine airplane after takeoff and impacted the ground. As the pilot positioned on the runway, an EMB-145 jet was making a low pass slightly to the right of the runway at about 100 feet altitude. Immediately after the jet passed, he began the takeoff roll. After a positive rate of climb was achieved, the gear was raised, and the airplane began to `roll' to the right. He then apllied left aileron, but it had no effect. After reducing both throttles to idle, the roll continued. Witnesses reported that the airplane was in a pitch up attitude and the engines were making an `over revving' sound. The pilot reported that it `didn't feel like an engine problem.' The right wing contacted the ground and the aircraft rolled wing over wing, coming to rest inverted, on the southeast side of the taxiway. The EMB-145 is an 50 passenger, 45,000 pound regional jet powered by two allison AE3007A engines, each of which, produce about 7,468 pounds of thrust. The position of the airplane during its takeoff/initial climb would have put it in the vicinity of the EMB-145'S jet wake. No mechanical anomalies were discovered with the airplane after the accident.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: ON NOVEMBER 19, 1997, AT 1636 CST, A CESSNA 310-J S/N 310J0156 N156SD REGISTERED TO JEFFERSON COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT, CRASHED ON TAKE OFF AT JEFFERSON COUNTY AIRPORT (BPT), WHILE ON A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT JEFFERSON COUNTY AIRPORT (BPT), BEAUMONT, TEXAS. THE MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT WAS FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE CENTER BEARING P/N BC5W10 ON THE CONTROL COLUMN. AT ABOUT 2400 FEET DOWN RUNWAY DURING CLIMB AIRCRAFT PITCHED NOSE UP AND THE ENGINES MADE A SOUND AS IF OVER REVVING. AIRCRAFT ROLLED AND VEERED RIGHT. AT ABOUT 110 FEET OFF RUNWAY 12, RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT BURST INTO FLAMES. AIRCRAFT ROLLED WING OVER WING AND SLID FOR ABOUT 400 FEET BEFORE COMING TO REST INVERTED. THE FAA INSPECTOR IN CHARGE ALONG WITH THE CESSNA TECH REP INSPECTED THE PILOTS SEAT, CONTROL YOKE, CONTROLS, AND TABS AND FOUND NO DEFICIENCIES. THE PILOT SEAT WAS REMOVED, THE SEAT TRACKS AND SEAT PINS WERE INSPECTED AND SHOWED SIGNS OF WEAR. DUE TO THE PILOTS HEIGHT (6'5") THE OPERATOR HAD THE SEAT MOVED AS FAR AFT AS POSSIBLE. THE ELEVATOR TRIM TAB WAS IN THE UP POSITION, THE AILERON TRIM WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE LEFT. THE AILERON TRIM TAB ACTUATOR WAS MEASURED AND FOUND TO BE EXTENDED ONE INCH. THE CONTROL COLUMN HAD FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT, AFTER THE CONTROL COLUMN WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT IT WAS INSPECTED FOR PROPER RIGGING AND BINDING. NO BINDING OR IMPROPER RIGGING WAS NOTED. THE ENGINES IGNITION SYSTEM AND COMPRESSION WERE CHECKED WITH NO DEFICIENCIES NOTED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE A LOSS OF POWER. MOST QUESTIONS POSED TO THE PILOT RESULTED IN "COULD NOT REMEMBER OR DID NOT KNOW". (.4) THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE MULTIENGINE AIRPLANE AFTER TAKEOFF AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. AS THE PILOT POSITIONED ON THE RUNWAY, AN EMB-145 JET WAS MAKING A LOW PASS SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY AT ABOUT 100 FEET ALTITUDE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE JET PASSED, HE BEGAN THE TAKEOFF ROLL. AFTER A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB WAS ACHIEVED, THE GEAR WAS RAISED, AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO `ROLL' TO THE RIGHT. HE THEN APLLIED LEFT AILERON, BUT IT HAD NO EFFECT. AFTER REDUCING BOTH THROTTLES TO IDLE, THE ROLL CONTINUED. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A PITCH UP ATTITUDE AND THE ENGINES WERE MAKING AN `OVER REVVING' SOUND. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT IT `DIDN'T FEEL LIKE AN ENGINE PROBLEM.' THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED WING OVER WING, COMING TO REST INVERTED, ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF THE TAXIWAY. THE EMB-145 IS AN 50 PASSENGER, 45,000 POUND REGIONAL JET POWERED BY TWO ALLISON AE3007A ENGINES, EACH OF WHICH, PRODUCE ABOUT 7,468 POUNDS OF THRUST. THE POSITION OF THE AIRPLANE DURING ITS TAKEOFF/INITIAL CLIMB WOULD HAVE PUT IT IN THE VICINITY OF THE EMB-145'S JET WAKE. NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE DISCOVERED WITH THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.