What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Prior to the flight at Chandler airport (chd) on 7/10/2021 privacy data omitted stated weight and balance analysis was calculated prior to the flight and the aircraft with takeoff fuel load was approximately 50 lbs. Below mgtow and well within gc envelope. CG changes with fuel burn were such that the aircraft would remain within CG envelope throughout the flight.
Takeoff distance was calculated using AFM graphs assuming 90-degree OAT was approximately 3,000 feet over 50 foot obstacle. Runway length (22R) is 4,401 feet.
He stated preflight inspection was conducted normally. Fuel load was verified to at or about the tabs (30 gallons each in both mains). Tip tanks were full (20 gallons each). Only anomaly observed was that the pitot cover was missing, having apparently blown off during the windstorm that occurred at (chd) the preceding night. No water was observed in any of the fuel sumps.
privacy data omitted Said engine start, taxi and pre-takeoff were normal. Left and right magneto checks showed approximately 50 RPM drop within allowances. Cylinder head and EGT indications on 930 engine analyzer appeared typical. Oil temperature and other parameters were within limits for takeoff.
When he was cleared for takeoff the aircraft was positioned near the end of runway 22R, brakes applied and the engine advanced to full power. Engine sound and indications appeared nominal. Turbocharger appeared to engage normally at approximately 25 inches mp. When full power was reached, the brakes were released, and the aircraft began accelerating. Acceleration was observed to be slightly slower than expected and the ground roll somewhat longer than predicted but given the high OAT this was not interpreted as being indicative of a problem. He rotated normally. Once the aircraft cleared the ground the nose was lowered to allow the plane to accelerate while initially climbing to 120 knots for proper engine cooling. He stated once a positive rate of climb was observed the gear was raised. Retraction was normal. He stated with gear up the aircraft was not able to accelerate and climb. He said to hold altitude resulted in the airspeed deteriorating rather than increasing as expected. He said his focus was on maintaining airspeed and attempting to climb so he was not sure what was on the engine monitor, but the plane was not behaving the way it normally does at that point in flight. At this point the aircraft was still over but near the end of the runway but the altitude was below obstacles outside the airport perimeter, and he was not able to climb. He made the decision to put the plane on the ground in a controlled manner rather than attempt to continue flight given the obstacles surrounding the airport. He lowered the nose and flew to a flare just beyond the departure end of runway 22R. The aircraft impacted wings level gear up. The aircraft slid along the dirt and came to rest against the airport fence to the right of the extended centerline of runway 22R. All passengers were properly restrained. He stated the ground skid and subsequent impact with the fence apparently damaged the left leading edge just outboard of the fuselage. A fire started on the left side of the engine compartment. He immediately exited the aircraft using the front access door and opened the rear cargo access doors. The rear seat passengers exited the plane out the rear cargo door. The pilot in the left front seat exited the plane out the front access door. Everyone gathered aft of the plane while the plane began to be consumed by fire.
As the FAA filed it
PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT AT CHANDLER AIRPORT (CHD) ON 7/10/2021 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED WEIGHT AND BALANCE ANALYSIS WAS CALCULATED PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT AND THE AIRCRAFT WITH TAKEOFF FUEL LOAD WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 LBS. BELOW MGTOW AND WELL WITHIN GC ENVELOPE. CG CHANGES WITH FUEL BURN WERE SUCH THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD REMAIN WITHIN CG ENVELOPE THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT.
TAKEOFF DISTANCE WAS CALCULATED USING AFM GRAPHS ASSUMING 90-DEGREE OAT WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,000 FEET OVER 50 FOOT OBSTACLE. RUNWAY LENGTH (22R) IS 4,401 FEET.
HE STATED PREFLIGHT INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED NORMALLY. FUEL LOAD WAS VERIFIED TO AT OR ABOUT THE TABS (30 GALLONS EACH IN BOTH MAINS). TIP TANKS WERE FULL (20 GALLONS EACH). ONLY ANOMALY OBSERVED WAS THAT THE PITOT COVER WAS MISSING, HAVING APPARENTLY BLOWN OFF DURING THE WINDSTORM THAT OCCURRED AT (CHD) THE PRECEDING NIGHT. NO WATER WAS OBSERVED IN ANY OF THE FUEL SUMPS.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID ENGINE START, TAXI AND PRE-TAKEOFF WERE NORMAL. LEFT AND RIGHT MAGNETO CHECKS SHOWED APPROXIMATELY 50 RPM DROP WITHIN ALLOWANCES. CYLINDER HEAD AND EGT INDICATIONS ON 930 ENGINE ANALYZER APPEARED TYPICAL. OIL TEMPERATURE AND OTHER PARAMETERS WERE WITHIN LIMITS FOR TAKEOFF.
WHEN HE WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF THE AIRCRAFT WAS POSITIONED NEAR THE END OF RUNWAY 22R, BRAKES APPLIED AND THE ENGINE ADVANCED TO FULL POWER. ENGINE SOUND AND INDICATIONS APPEARED NOMINAL. TURBOCHARGER APPEARED TO ENGAGE NORMALLY AT APPROXIMATELY 25 INCHES MP. WHEN FULL POWER WAS REACHED, THE BRAKES WERE RELEASED, AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ACCELERATING. ACCELERATION WAS OBSERVED TO BE SLIGHTLY SLOWER THAN EXPECTED AND THE GROUND ROLL SOMEWHAT LONGER THAN PREDICTED BUT GIVEN THE HIGH OAT THIS WAS NOT INTERPRETED AS BEING INDICATIVE OF A PROBLEM. HE ROTATED NORMALLY. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CLEARED THE GROUND THE NOSE WAS LOWERED TO ALLOW THE PLANE TO ACCELERATE WHILE INITIALLY CLIMBING TO 120 KNOTS FOR PROPER ENGINE COOLING. HE STATED ONCE A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB WAS OBSERVED THE GEAR WAS RAISED. RETRACTION WAS NORMAL. HE STATED WITH GEAR UP THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE AND CLIMB. HE SAID TO HOLD ALTITUDE RESULTED IN THE AIRSPEED DETERIORATING RATHER THAN INCREASING AS EXPECTED. HE SAID HIS FOCUS WAS ON MAINTAINING AIRSPEED AND ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB SO HE WAS NOT SURE WHAT WAS ON THE ENGINE MONITOR, BUT THE PLANE WAS NOT BEHAVING THE WAY IT NORMALLY DOES AT THAT POINT IN FLIGHT. AT THIS POINT THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL OVER BUT NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY BUT THE ALTITUDE WAS BELOW OBSTACLES OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT PERIMETER, AND HE WAS NOT ABLE TO CLIMB. HE MADE THE DECISION TO PUT THE PLANE ON THE GROUND IN A CONTROLLED MANNER RATHER THAN ATTEMPT TO CONTINUE FLIGHT GIVEN THE OBSTACLES SURROUNDING THE AIRPORT. HE LOWERED THE NOSE AND FLEW TO A FLARE JUST BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 22R. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED WINGS LEVEL GEAR UP. THE AIRCRAFT SLID ALONG THE DIRT AND CAME TO REST AGAINST THE AIRPORT FENCE TO THE RIGHT OF THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 22R. ALL PASSENGERS WERE PROPERLY RESTRAINED. HE STATED THE GROUND SKID AND SUBSEQUENT IMPACT WITH THE FENCE APPARENTLY DAMAGED THE LEFT LEADING EDGE JUST OUTBOARD OF THE FUSELAGE. A FIRE STARTED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HE IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE AIRCRAFT USING THE FRONT ACCESS DOOR AND OPENED THE REAR CARGO ACCESS DOORS. THE REAR SEAT PASSENGERS EXITED THE PLANE OUT THE REAR CARGO DOOR. THE PILOT IN THE LEFT FRONT SEAT EXITED THE PLANE OUT THE FRONT ACCESS DOOR. EVERYONE GATHERED AFT OF THE PLANE WHILE THE PLANE BEGAN TO BE CONSUMED BY FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N222HC · 2
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