- Date
- June 5, 2009, 09:50 local (14:50 UTC)
- Place
- Decatur, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8636QBeech S35
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Flight instrument malf/fail
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20090605008659A
- Case key
- 73979
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
Both pilots' inadequate preflight inspection and failure to identify the presence of dirt and insect larvae in the pitot tube, and the owner-pilot's attempt to turn off the runway and onto the taxiway at an excessive speed during the aborted takeoff.
Findings · 6
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
An annual inspection had just been completed on the airplane and it was flown to the owner's location by a pilot mechanic. The owner pilot entered the airplane with the engines running and took control of the airplane from the pilot mechanic. The owner pilot then performed a takeoff on a wet, grass runway. The pilot stated that the airspeed indicator stopped increasing at about 60 knots indicated airspeed, so he aborted the takeoff; during which, the airplane slid on the runway approximately 1,200 feet before the pilot attempted a right turn onto a taxi-way. During the turn the left main landing gear collapsed and the airplane slid into trees located near the taxiway, damaging the left aileron. Examination of the airplane revealed dirt and insect larvae in the pitot tube. The pilot mechanic stated that he performed a preflight, but did not inspect the pitot tube.
Factual narrative
An annual inspection had just been completed on the airplane and it was flown to the owner's location by a pilot-mechanic. The owner-pilot entered the airplane with the engines running and took control of the airplane from the pilot-mechanic. The owner-pilot then performed a takeoff on a wet, grass runway. The owner-pilot stated the airspeed stopped increasing at about 60 knots indicated airspeed, so he aborted the takeoff. During the abort, the airplane slid on the runway approximately 1,200 feet before the owner-pilot attempted a right turn onto a taxiway. During the turn, the left main landing gear collapsed and the airplane slid into trees located near the taxiway, damaging the left aileron. Examination of the airplane revealed dirt and insect larvae in the pitot tube. The pilot-mechanic stated he performed a preflight inspection, but he did not inspect the pitot tube.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8636Q
- Reported as
- Beech S35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-7658
- Airframe hours
- 6,187
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jackson Steven D
- Registered owner
- Jackson Steven D
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2009
- Departed
- XA99 · Decatur, TX
- Destination
- XA99 · Decatur, TX
- Airport
- XA99 · Flat Bush Airport, runway 35, 2,300 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 47
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 6, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 542 total · 340 in this make and model · 441 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- lud, 7 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 22, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 413 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8636Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.