- Date
- August 15, 2023, 08:05 local (12:05 UTC)
- Place
- Lansing, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N261SWBeech C-99
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230815009959A
- Case key
- 192876
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 failure to properly set the rudder trim position which resulted in a loss of directional control during takeoff. Contributing was the pilot’s inadequate checklist procedures prior to 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
The pilot reported that after a normal start and taxi, the airplane was cleared for takeoff. During the takeoff roll, the airplane drifted right and the pilot corrected with the left rudder. When the airplane reached 100 knots, he rotated the airplane, and about 30 feet in altitude, the airplane experienced a roll to the right. The pilot tried to correct the roll with left rudder but was unable to provide sufficient left rudder. At this point, the airplane had drifted to the right of the runway and over the adjacent parallel taxiway. He was able to regain partial control by reducing engine power and banking the airplane to the left. The pilot attempted to land on the taxiway but was unable to judge his height above ground due to the low visibility, and subsequently impacted terrain to the right of the taxiway. Both wings and the fuselage sustained substantial damage. Prior to exiting the airplane, the pilot noted that the rudder trim was set to the full nose-right position. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Prior to the accident, maintenance was completed that consisted of an “Event II & Routine” inspection. The inspection procedure required the rudder trim system to be lubricated, a trim tab free play inspection, and an operational check prior to returning the airplane to service. Review of the maintenance procedures revealed there was no guidance on returning the rudder trim control system back to a neutral position at completion of the inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N261SW
- Reported as
- Beech C-99
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U-202
- Built
- 1983
- Airframe hours
- 27,642.9
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-36, 750 horsepower, turbo propPratt & Whitney PT6A-36, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Ameriflight, LLC, doing business as Ameriflight
- Registered owner
- Uas Transervices Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · August 14, 2023
- Departed
- LAN · Lansing, MI
- Destination
- KPLN · Pellston, MI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LAN · Captial Regional International, runway 10R, 8,506 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 27
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 4, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,218 total · 26 in this make and model · 397 as pilot in command · 66 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 18 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility
- 0.75 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- KLAN, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KLAN 151226Z 04018G27KT 1 3/4SM R28L/6000VP6000FT +RA BR SCT011 BKN039 OVC080 17/15 A2980 RMK AO2 PK WND 05027/1225 P0008 T01670150=
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 9, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 37.5 MB 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.