What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 05-26-2000, paul meyerfoff ii, a commerical/instrument pilot, was acting as pilot in command of a Beech-F33A, departing the Columbia airport, at Columbia, California, on runway 17, with one passenger aboard, at 1630 hours pacific daylight time. The aircraft was observed by witnesses at 10 to 15 feet AGL at midfield and approxiamtely 20 feet AGL with the landing gear extended at the departure end of the runway. The aircraft was nose high, the power had been reduced and reapplied. The aircraft faded from sight over the trees beyond the runway and a column of smoke was then seen as the aircraft collided with trees approximately and impacted the ground 1/4 mile beyond the runway end. Pilot and passenger received fatal injuries in the crash and subsequent fire, which destroyed the aircraft. The cause of this accident is unknown at this time. The aircraft engine is being sent to the manufactor for tear down and possible determination foa cause for its possible malfuction. (.4) on may 26, 2000, about 1630 hours pacific daylight time, a Beech F33A, N2RM, was destroyed during the takeoff/initial climb from Columbia, califo rnia. The commercial rated pilot and non-rated passenger both received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight operating under 14 CFR part 91. No flight plan was filed. The originating flight was destined for oakland, California, the airplane's base. The purpose for the landing at Columbia is unknown. Prior to landing at Columbia, the airplane had departed north las vegas, Nevada, at 1154, on a VFR flight plan destined for Columbia, by way of beatty, bishop, and mammoth. The safety board investigator talked by phone to witnesses that watched the airplane depart on runway 17. It became airborne about midfield and flew nose high 10/20 feet above the runway. Engine power was reduced, then reapplied, and the airplane crossed the runway end about 20 feet above ground level with the landing gear extended. One witness was sitting in an airplane doing an after maintenance run-up as he watched the accident airplane. The airplane collided with trees about 1,300 feet beyond the runway end. A postaccident fire erupted upon impact. One pilot witness reported the wind to be 290 degrees at 14 knots with a density altitude of 3,900 feet. Five telephonic witness witness interviews obtained by a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector are also attached to this report.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 05-26-2000, PAUL MEYERFOFF II, A COMMERICAL/INSTRUMENT PILOT, WAS ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF A BEECH-F33A, DEPARTING THE COLUMBIA AIRPORT, AT COLUMBIA, CALIFORNIA, ON RUNWAY 17, WITH ONE PASSENGER ABOARD, AT 1630 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES AT 10 TO 15 FEET AGL AT MIDFIELD AND APPROXIAMTELY 20 FEET AGL WITH THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOSE HIGH, THE POWER HAD BEEN REDUCED AND REAPPLIED. THE AIRCRAFT FADED FROM SIGHT OVER THE TREES BEYOND THE RUNWAY AND A COLUMN OF SMOKE WAS THEN SEEN AS THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES APPROXIMATELY AND IMPACTED THE GROUND 1/4 MILE BEYOND THE RUNWAY END. PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES IN THE CRASH AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE, WHICH DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT. THE CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE IS BEING SENT TO THE MANUFACTOR FOR TEAR DOWN AND POSSIBLE DETERMINATION FOA CAUSE FOR ITS POSSIBLE MALFUCTION. (.4) ON MAY 26, 2000, ABOUT 1630 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH F33A, N2RM, WAS DESTROYED DURING THE TAKEOFF/INITIAL CLIMB FROM COLUMBIA, CALIFO RNIA. THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT AND NON-RATED PASSENGER BOTH RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE ORIGINATING FLIGHT WAS DESTINED FOR OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, THE AIRPLANE'S BASE. THE PURPOSE FOR THE LANDING AT COLUMBIA IS UNKNOWN. PRIOR TO LANDING AT COLUMBIA, THE AIRPLANE HAD DEPARTED NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, AT 1154, ON A VFR FLIGHT PLAN DESTINED FOR COLUMBIA, BY WAY OF BEATTY, BISHOP, AND MAMMOTH. THE SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR TALKED BY PHONE TO WITNESSES THAT WATCHED THE AIRPLANE DEPART ON RUNWAY 17. IT BECAME AIRBORNE ABOUT MIDFIELD AND FLEW NOSE HIGH 10/20 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY. ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED, THEN REAPPLIED, AND THE AIRPLANE CROSSED THE RUNWAY END ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL WITH THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED. ONE WITNESS WAS SITTING IN AN AIRPLANE DOING AN AFTER MAINTENANCE RUN-UP AS HE WATCHED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES ABOUT 1,300 FEET BEYOND THE RUNWAY END. A POSTACCIDENT FIRE ERUPTED UPON IMPACT. ONE PILOT WITNESS REPORTED THE WIND TO BE 290 DEGREES AT 14 KNOTS WITH A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 3,900 FEET. FIVE TELEPHONIC WITNESS WITNESS INTERVIEWS OBTAINED BY A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR ARE ALSO ATTACHED TO THIS REPORT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.