# Accident 20010820030039A: Beech F33C, Houston, TX, August 20, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 20, 2001, 19:39 local time - Place: Houston, TX - Airport: Sugar Land Municipal/Hull Field Arp - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Final Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 29.6222° N, 95.6564° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6222&lon=-95.6564&mi=10 - Aircraft: N133DA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N133DA-2007-02-15) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech F33C (registry code 1151434, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-f33c) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH F33C - Reported engine: CONT IO520BB - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,600 total, 100 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW01LA187](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA187) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010820030039A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON AUGUST 20, 2001, AT 1939 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH F33C, SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N133DA, IMPACTED THE GROUND WHILE MANEUVERING DURING THE FINAL APPROACH FOR LANDING AT THE SUGARLAND MUNICIPAL HULL/FIELD, SUGARLAND, TEXAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE WEST HOUSTON AERO CLUB, INC., DBA SUGARLAND FLYING CLUB OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, UNDER CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES, AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PLANNED CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO GALVESTON, TEXAS, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED SEVERAL MINUTES PRIOR TO THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER REPORTED THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF/INITIAL CLIMB FROM RUNWAY 17, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE COCKPIT DOOR WAS OPEN AND THAT HE WANTED TO RETURN FOR LANDING. THE CONTROLLER CLEARED THE PILOT TO LAND THE AIRPLANE ON RUNWAY 17. WITNESSES AND THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE ENTER A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 17. WITNESSES ESTIMATED THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AGL DURING THE DOWNWIND PATTERN APPROACH. THE CONTROLLER STATED THAT DURING THE TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE OVERSHOT THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE AIRPLANE "APPEARED TO STALL" AS THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE TOWARD THE RUNWAY. THE FAA INSPECTOR, WHO RESPONDED TO THE SITE, AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES, FOUND GOUGES IN THE AIRPORT PERIMETER ROAD. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET WEST OF RUNWAY 17. THE ENGINE MOUNTS AND FIREWALL WERE DAMAGED, AND THE PROPELLER SPINNER WAS CRUSHED. ONE OF THE PROPELLER BLADES WAS FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE PROPELLER FLANGE, AND ALL THE PROPELLER BLADES EXHIBITED "S" BENDING AND TWISTING. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE CRUSHED UPWARD INTO THE WING AREA. AT 1753, THE WEATHER OBSERVATION FACILITY (ASOS) AT THE AIRPORT REPORTED THE WIND FROM 150 DEGREES AT 12 KNOTS, SKY CLEAR, TEMPERATURE 30 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, DEW POINT 22 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, AND ALTIMETER 29.98 INCHES OF MERCURY. (-23) THE PILOT OF BEECH F33C, N133DA REQUESTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT BECAUSE A DOOR HAD POPPED OPEN ON TAKEOFF. HIS TURN TO FINAL RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT OVER SHOOTING FINAL AND IN TRYING TO TIGHTEN TO TURN THE WING STALLED RESULTING IN IMPACT WITH THE GROUND TO THE RIGHT OF FINAL IN A FLAT ATT ITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED BACK INJURIES. (.4) DURING THE TAKEOFF/INITIAL CLIMB IN THE SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, THE DOOR POPPED OPEN. THE PILOT REQUESTED AND WAS CLEARED FOR LANDING. THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET AGL. THE TOWER CONTROLLER OBSERVED THAT DURING THE TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE OVERSHOT THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE "APPEARED TO LOSE FORWARD SPEED" DURING A LEFT TURN BACK TOWARD THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN THE RUNWAY SAFETY AREA TO THE WEST OF THE RUNWAY. THE DOOR, DOOR MECHANISM, AND AIRFRAME STRUCTURE WERE EXAMINED AND NO ANOMALIES WERE FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO AN IN-FLIGHT OPENING OF THE DOOR. ## 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 FTW01LA187](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA187), Aug 21, 2001: Beech F33C (N133DA), Sugarland, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's inadvertent stall of the airplane during the base/final approach for landing which resulted in a collision with terrain. A contributing factor was the pilot's diverted attention to an… 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.