What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 25 July 2025, at 2347(z) the FAA received notice regarding an accident in Windham, Connecticut, involving a BE23 that had gone off the end of the runway on takeoff, with no injuries, and aircraft sustaining damage to an unknown extent. After discussion with FAA (federal aviation administration) personnel, the aircraft was moved, secured on blocks, and de-fueled outside a hangar by first responders and caa (Connecticut airport authority) personnel.
This FAA iic (investigator in charge) and an additional ASI (aviation safety inspector) arrived at the accident scene at Windham Airport (kijd) on 26 July at 0930 local time with caa personnel and the pilot in attendance. The pilot briefly explained what had happened, a pilot’s bill of rights (pbr) was given to the pilot, and a written statement was received from the PIC. In their statement the PIC explained that they were three-quarters of the way down runway 18 on takeoff when it was apparent that they did not have the velocity to take off, and deemed it necessary to abort. They pulled back the throttle and applied brakes hard, turning left as they approached the airport boundary fence, damaging the nose rear and the right main gear. The pilot stated that no mechanical irregularities were noted and that they should have used the longer runway.
A cursory examination of the accident area by FAA personnel was conducted at this time. Runway tire skid marks that were indicative of heavy braking were noted, starting at approximately 492’ from the southern end of runway 18 and continuing to the end. An additional 200’OF skid marks were noted in the grass at the end of the runway, veering east and ending where the aircraft had come to rest at roughly 60 feet off the centerline, at a heading of approximately 100 degrees. The lower nose gear assembly had detached and was located in the grass, approximately 75 feet away from the aircraft in a south-southeast direction at the fence line, with the tire and rim still intact. The right-hand gear had broken and collapsed underneath the aircraft, causing damage to the lower fuselage.
A physical inspection of the aircraft found damage to the lower cowl, lower aft fuselage, right-hand fuselage aft of luggage hatch, nose gear trunnion, and right-hand gear attachment area. No obvious aircraft structures or components were found missing. Both propeller blades were bent rearwards, with leading edge damage and blade striations indicative of rotation when the blades contacted.
As the FAA filed it
ON 25 JULY 2025, AT 2347(Z) THE FAA RECEIVED NOTICE REGARDING AN ACCIDENT IN WINDHAM, CONNECTICUT, INVOLVING A BE23 THAT HAD GONE OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY ON TAKEOFF, WITH NO INJURIES, AND AIRCRAFT SUSTAINING DAMAGE TO AN UNKNOWN EXTENT. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH FAA (FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION) PERSONNEL, THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED, SECURED ON BLOCKS, AND DE-FUELED OUTSIDE A HANGAR BY FIRST RESPONDERS AND CAA (CONNECTICUT AIRPORT AUTHORITY) PERSONNEL.
THIS FAA IIC (INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE) AND AN ADDITIONAL ASI (AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR) ARRIVED AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE AT WINDHAM AIRPORT (KIJD) ON 26 JULY AT 0930 LOCAL TIME WITH CAA PERSONNEL AND THE PILOT IN ATTENDANCE. THE PILOT BRIEFLY EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED, A PILOT’S BILL OF RIGHTS (PBR) WAS GIVEN TO THE PILOT, AND A WRITTEN STATEMENT WAS RECEIVED FROM THE PIC. IN THEIR STATEMENT THE PIC EXPLAINED THAT THEY WERE THREE-QUARTERS OF THE WAY DOWN RUNWAY 18 ON TAKEOFF WHEN IT WAS APPARENT THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE VELOCITY TO TAKE OFF, AND DEEMED IT NECESSARY TO ABORT. THEY PULLED BACK THE THROTTLE AND APPLIED BRAKES HARD, TURNING LEFT AS THEY APPROACHED THE AIRPORT BOUNDARY FENCE, DAMAGING THE NOSE REAR AND THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. THE PILOT STATED THAT NO MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES WERE NOTED AND THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE USED THE LONGER RUNWAY.
A CURSORY EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT AREA BY FAA PERSONNEL WAS CONDUCTED AT THIS TIME. RUNWAY TIRE SKID MARKS THAT WERE INDICATIVE OF HEAVY BRAKING WERE NOTED, STARTING AT APPROXIMATELY 492’ FROM THE SOUTHERN END OF RUNWAY 18 AND CONTINUING TO THE END. AN ADDITIONAL 200’OF SKID MARKS WERE NOTED IN THE GRASS AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, VEERING EAST AND ENDING WHERE THE AIRCRAFT HAD COME TO REST AT ROUGHLY 60 FEET OFF THE CENTERLINE, AT A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 100 DEGREES. THE LOWER NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY HAD DETACHED AND WAS LOCATED IN THE GRASS, APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT IN A SOUTH-SOUTHEAST DIRECTION AT THE FENCE LINE, WITH THE TIRE AND RIM STILL INTACT. THE RIGHT-HAND GEAR HAD BROKEN AND COLLAPSED UNDERNEATH THE AIRCRAFT, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FUSELAGE.
A PHYSICAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND DAMAGE TO THE LOWER COWL, LOWER AFT FUSELAGE, RIGHT-HAND FUSELAGE AFT OF LUGGAGE HATCH, NOSE GEAR TRUNNION, AND RIGHT-HAND GEAR ATTACHMENT AREA. NO OBVIOUS AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES OR COMPONENTS WERE FOUND MISSING. BOTH PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT REARWARDS, WITH LEADING EDGE DAMAGE AND BLADE STRIATIONS INDICATIVE OF ROTATION WHEN THE BLADES CONTACTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.