# NTSB CHI93LA141: Beech V-35B, N38076, Bennington, KS, April 17, 1993 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 16, 1993, 19:15 local (Apr 17, 1993, 00:15 UTC) - Place: Bennington, KS - Coordinates: 39.029075, -97.590446 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0291&lon=-97.5904&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 17, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 9205 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI93LA141 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/9205/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI93LA141 ## Probable cause The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, takeoff - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, takeoff ## Analysis DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL AT A PRIVATE GRAVEL AND SOD AIRSTRIP, THE COMMERCIAL PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, WENT THROUGH A DITCH, AND CAME TO REST ON AN EMBANKMENT. ## Factual narrative On April 16, 1993, at about 1915 central daylight time (cdt), N38076; a Beech 35 aircraft, stalled on takeoff, settled back to the runway and ran off the runway into a ditch. The pilot was not injured and the aircraft was substantially damaged. The business flight was not on a flight plan with intended destination of El Reno, Oklahoma. In effort to prevent rock chip damage to the propeller, the commercial pilot elected to use only the right one-third of the sod and gravel runway at a private airstrip in Bennington, Kansas, to execute a soft field takeoff. (Runway 18: 1/3 sod, 1/3 gravel, 1/3 sod.) The pilot initially reported to the FAA a stall during takeoff, and a subsequent loss of directional control. The aircraft "veered to right, and went through ditch and came to stop on bank." Later, in his Pilot Accident Report, the pilot reported, " That night after wife and I settled down, we both agreed that we were not airborne... There were soft spots on the shoulder of the runway due to prior snow and rain. Soft spots combined with the slope toward the ditch, with south-eat wind, and differential rolling resistance, right, main tire on sod and left main tire on gravel caused aircraft to veer right." Impact with the terrain caused substantial damage to the aircraft. The propeller, cowling, landing gear, left wing tip, skin, and engine mounts were damaged. However, the pilot and passenger were uninjured. No flight plan was filed for this 14 CFR 91 flight operating in visual meteorological conditions. ## Aircraft - Registration: N38076 (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: BEECH V-35B - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 10360 - Airframe hours: 1123 - Engines: CONTINENTAL IO-520-BB 285 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Registered owner: Skorpick'S Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Destination: F28, EL RENO, OK - Airport: Private, runway 18, 2,700 × 85 ft, gravel ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 46; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 3,030 total, 450 in this make and model, 2,600 as pilot in command, 30 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 170° at 5 knots - Visibility: 15 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: SLN, 15 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19930416009509A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930416009509A), Apr 16, 1993: Beech V35B, Bennington, KS, Substantial damage. Tried depart sod strip. Sod and gravel surface. Right main gear. Hit soft spot. Veered off runway into a ditch. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.