- Date
- July 12, 2024, 11:10 local (01:10 UTC)
- Place
- Woleai Atoll, Micronesia · on runway
- Injuries
- 10 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N44MABeech 65-B80
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 194706
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable takeoff area, resulting in a loss of directional control. Contributing to the accident was a flooded runway.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during a short field takeoff on a runway that was flooded by heavy rain, the airplane’s right landing gear wheel went into a deep puddle of water and the airplane veered right. The pilot attempted to lift the airplane into ground effect to regain directional control, but the airplane was traveling too slow. The airplane exited the right side of the runway into tall grass and vegetation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing spar and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44MA
- Reported as
- Beech 65-B80
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- LD-412
- Airframe hours
- 14,005.5
- Engines
- Lycoming IO-720-A1B, 400 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO-720-A1B, 400 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 135
- Operator
- Pacific Mission Aviation
- Registered owner
- Pacific Mission Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 17, 2024 · 24 hours before
- Destination
- PTYA · Colonia, OF
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- pvt · Woleai Atoll, runway 05, 3,000 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 27, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,783 total · 278 in this make and model · 1,667 as pilot in command · 119 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 3.4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 28, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 MB in all.