# Accident 20010513008559A: Beech E33A, South Lake Taho, CA, May 13, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 13, 2001, 16:50 local time - Place: South Lake Taho, CA - Airport: Lake Tahoe - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Aborted (Fixed Wing) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.8939° N, 119.9953° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8939&lon=-119.9953&mi=10 - Aircraft: N464SR, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N464SR) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech E33A (registry code 1151424, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-e33a) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH E33A - Reported engine: CONT IO520B - People aboard: 4 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 283 total, 30 in this make and model, 28 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01LA177](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA177) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010513008559A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) AFTER TAKE-OFF THE PILOT SELECTED GEAR-UP ABOUT MID FIELD. THE PILOT WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE RATE-OF-CLIMB AND THE TAKE-OFF WAS ABORTED. THE THROTTLE WAS RETARDED AND THE GEAR WAS LOWERED. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE RUNWAY PRIOR TO THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDING TO THE LOCKED POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT SLID ABOUT 500' BEFORE COMING TO REST ABOUT 1500' SHORT OF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY USED FOR TAKE-OFF. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO ADD POWER TO ARREST THE SINK RATE; HOWEVER, THE THROTTLE JAMMED. AN INSPECTION OF THE THROTTLE REVEALED THAT THE THROTTLE RELEASE BUTTON RETAINING SCREW WAS 8 TURNS LOOSE ALLOWING THE RELEASE BUTTON TO MISALIGN. (.4) ON MAY 13, 2001, ABOUT 1650 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH E33A, N464SR, IMPACTED THE RUNWAY DURING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF FROM THE LAKE TAHOE AIRPORT, SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA. AT THE TIME OF THE MISHAP, THE AIRPLANE'S LANDING GEAR WAS IN TRANSIT TO THE EXTENDED POSITION. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. NEITHER THE PRIVATE PILOT NOR THE THREE PASSENGERS WAS INJURED. THE PILOT HAD RENTED THE AIRPLANE FROM SOUTH BAY AVIATION, INC., TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND N O FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT WAS PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE FRONT RIGHT-SEATED PILOT-RATED PASSENGER, DURING THE PRETAKEOFF CHECK, THE PILOT OBSERVED A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE THROTTLE CONTROL KNOB. THE PILOT STATED TO THE PASSENGER "LOOK AT THIS," AND HE SHOWED THE PASSENGER THE LOOSE VERNIER CONTROL BUTTON ON THE THROTTLE KNOB. THE PASSENGER INDICATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE PILOT SCREW THE VERNIER CONTROL BACK INTO POSITION. THEN, THE PILOT PROCEEDED TO TAKEOFF. THE PILOT INDICATED TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT HE INITIATED THE TAKEOFF ROLL FROM THE BEGINNING OF RUNWAY 18. THE AIRPLANE ACCELERATED NORMALLY, AND HE FELT THE EFFECT OF THE STRONG GUSTY WIND. IN AN EFFORT AT INCREASING THE AIRPLANE'S RATE OF CLIMB, THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR. THEN, THE AIRPLANE WAS PUSHED TOWARD THE GROUND BY A STRONG DOWNDRAFT. THE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER REPORTED THAT HE HEARD A HORN GOING OFF IN THE COCKPIT. A WITNESS REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRPLANE WITH ITS LANDING GEAR RETRACTED AND ITS WINGS ROCKING UP AND DOWN. AT THE TIME, THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT MIDFIELD, AND APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY'S SURFACE. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED TO THE SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT HE ABORTED THE TAKEOFF BECAUSE HE WAS "NOT SATISFIED WITH THE RATE OF CLIMB." THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE RETARDED THE THROTTLE AND ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR. WHEN IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD TOUCHDOWN BEFORE THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED, HE ATTEMPTED TO PUSH THE THROTTLE FORWARD BUT WAS UNABLE. THE PILOT SAID IT WAS STUCK. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE RUNWAY WITH THE LANDING GEAR PARTIALLY EXTENDED. IT SLID ABOUT 500 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A STOP ABOUT 1,500 FEET BEFORE REACHING THE RUNWAY'S DEPARTURE END. RESPONDING RESCUE PERSONNEL STATED THAT LUGGAGE WAS OBSERVED INSIDE THE AIRPLANE. THERE WAS NO FIRE. ## 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 LAX01LA177](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA177), May 13, 2001: Beech E33A (N464SR), So Lake Tahoe, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper aircraft handling and decision to prematurely raise the landing gear during takeoff. Contributing factors were his lack of experience taking off under the high density altitude… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.