CHI97LA288

In his written statement, the pilot said that during the airplane's takeoff run, 'I realized I wasn't getting flying speed and altitude - power was lacking. Because I was already halfway down this short grass airport, I pulled power, shut off switches, and kept the aircraft straight ahead.' Subsequently, the airplane went through a fence and came to rest in a field beyond the end of the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomaly. According the airplane's Pilot Operating Handbook, at maximum gross weight (3,300 lbs), the airplane would have required a takeoff distance of about 1,700 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle. The runway was 2800 feet in length.

On September 6, 1997, at 1900 central daylight time (cdt), a Beech 35-C33A, N5729V, operated by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when on initial takeoff, the airplane failed to gain altitude. The pilot subsequently landed the airplane in a bean field off of the departure end of the runway where it struck several fence posts and impacted the terrain. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. An IFR flight plan was on file. There were no reported injuries to the pilot or the three passengers on board. The cross-country flight originated at Amana, Iowa, at 1900 cdt, and was en route to Des Moines, Iowa.

In his written statement, the pilot said that during the airplane's takeoff run, "I realized I wasn't getting flying speed and altitude - power was lacking. Because I was already halfway down this short grass airport, I pulled power, shut off switches, and kept the aircraft straight ahead."

A passenger, seated in the airplane's right front seat, said in his written statement that the takeoff roll began without incident. "I was checking the Des Moines VOR when I felt us hit the runway." The passenger said that the airplane "hit a second and possibly third time. When I looked up, I saw the foliage ahead and felt [the pilot] pull the power. We came in flat and twisted to the right."

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who examined the airplane at the accident site, found the airplane resting upright in a bean field approximately 192 feet from the departure end of the runway. Ground scars were observed at the departure end of the runway going 10-degrees left of the runway centerline. The airplane's line of travel took it through a wire fence before entering the bean field. A five-inch diameter pole was resting on the ground off of the departure end of the runway. A five- inch wide dent was observed in the leading edge of the airplane's left wing at mid-span. There was a three-inch wide hole in the trailing edge of the left wing, just forward of the flap and three feet outboard of the wing root. The fuel drain on the left wing tank was broken off. The left main landing gear was bent outward. The airplane's right wing tip tank was broken off of the airplane, crushed and shattered into several pieces. The wing structure at the fracture was bent upward and aft. The right main landing gear had collapsed upward. The nose gear was broken off and found resting approximately 30 feet aft of the airplane. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were crushed aft and bent upward at the tips. All three propeller blades were bent aft approximately 90 degrees at mid-span. Flight control continuity was confirmed. Examination of the engine, engine controls and other airplane systems revealed no anomalies.

According to the Beech Debonair C33A Pilot's Operating Handbook, Takeoff Distance Performance table, an airplane weighing 3,300 pounds (maximum gross weight of the airplane), taking off with a pressure altitude of 1,700 feet mean sea level, an outside air temperature of 70-degrees Fahrenheit, and a 6 knot headwind, will have a takeoff distance of approximately 1,000 feet. The takeoff distance necessary to clear a 50-foot obstacle would be approximately 1,700 feet.