- Date
- August 16, 1989, 12:05 local (16:05 UTC)
- Place
- Orange, VA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N816FWBeech B55
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890816066359A
- Case key
- 11524
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 takeoff was rejected when the pilot was startled by the sound from the emergency window exit which was inadvertently opened by a passenger. The pilot was unable to stop the aircraft in time to avoid overrunning the runway.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt said he was on takeoff roll, near lift off speed, and half-way down the 3200 long runway when, unknown to him, the eleven year old passenger in the second row right seat opened the emergency window. The plt said he heard a loud pop and rush of air. The plt said he thought that either a door had opened or a tire had blown, so he aborted the takeoff. The plt said he was unable to stop the acft on the wet runway before it past the runway end and came to a stop in a ditch.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N816FW
- Reported as
- Beech B55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TC-1747
- Airframe hours
- 1,424
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-L, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard B. Wright
- Registered owner
- Richard B Wright
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 15, 1989 · 17 hours before
- Destination
- JAX · Jacksonville, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- W93 · Orange, Co, runway 25, 3,200 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,553 total · 81 in this make and model · 2,150 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.