# Accident 20170121015969A: Hawker Beechcraft Corp G36, West Caldwell, NJ, January 21, 2017

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 21, 2017, 12:44 local time
- Place: West Caldwell, NJ
- Airport: Essex County
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.8636° N, 74.2811° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.8636&lon=-74.2811&mi=10
- Aircraft: N979BA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N979BA-2019-02-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hawker Beechcraft G36 (registry code 4220009, https://openairdocs.org/model/hawker-beechcraft-g36) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-550-B (registry code 17208, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HAWKER BEECHCRAFT CORP G36
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO-550-B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,400 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA17LA092](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17LA092) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170121015969A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

JANUARY 21, 2017 AT 12:48 EST, N979BA DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 22 AT ESSEX COUNTY AIRPORT. AIRPORT VIDEO OF DEPARTURE SHOWS WHAT APPEARS TO BE SMOKE FROM AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 50FT. ALTITUDE.

A SECOND AIRPORT VIDEO SHOWS AIRCRAFT TURNING LEFT AFTER DEPARTURE WITH SMOKE STILL TRAILING AIRCRAFT BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT DIVES TO LEFT.

THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE ROOF OF AN INDUSTRIAL BUILDING BEFORE IMPACTING TERRAIN IN A WOODED AREA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED IN THE POST IMPACT FIRE.

EVIDENCE GATHERED AT THE SCENE INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING AT IMPACT.

THE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS PULLED FROM THE WRECKAGE AND SUSTAINED SEVERAL BROKEN BONES AND SEVERE BURNS. HE IS CURRENTLY IN A COMA AND WAS UNABLE TO GIVE A STATEMENT FOR THIS REPORT.

NOTE: PILOT TOTAL FLIGHT HOURS OBTAINED FROM THAT REPORTED AT HIS LAST MEDICAL ON 06/16/2016.

## 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 ERA17LA092](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17LA092), Jan 21, 2017: Hawker Beechcraft G36 (N979BA), West Caldwell, NJ, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

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.

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