- Date
- July 2, 2020, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Crystal River, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N20131Beech 76
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200702005529A
- Case key
- 101552
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 flight instructor's delayed remedial action during a simulated engine failure on takeoff, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Findings · 3
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 flight instructor was conducting a training flight with the private pilot in the multiengine airplane. The flight instructor said that shortly after the airplane began to accelerate down the runway, she pulled the left throttle to idle to simulate an engine failure on takeoff and the private pilot "froze." She told him to bring the engine power to idle and brake, which he did, but the airplane was already veering left. The flight instructor then took control of the airplane and shut off power to each engine, but the airplane exited the runway and impacted an embankment resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The private pilot said that he responded to the simulated engine failure by removing thrust on both engines, applying the brakes, and trying to maintain directional control; however, "Despite the measures taken, the plane skidded off the runway." The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor was conducting a training flight with the private pilot in the multiengine airplane. The flight instructor said that shortly after the airplane began to accelerate down the runway, she pulled the left throttle to idle to simulate an engine failure on takeoff and the private pilot "froze." She told him to bring the engine power to idle and brake, which he did, but the airplane was already veering left. The flight instructor then took control of the airplane and shut off power to each engine, but the airplane exited the runway and impacted an embankment resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The private pilot said that he responded to the simulated engine failure by removing thrust on both engines, applying the brakes, and trying to maintain directional control; however, "Despite the measures taken, the plane skidded off the runway." The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20131
- Reported as
- Beech 76 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- ME-82
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 3,968.1
- Engines
- Lycoming LO-360-AIG6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming O-360-AIG6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 17, 2020 · 24 hours before
- Departed
- CGC · Crystal River, FL
- Destination
- CGC · Crystal River, FL
- Airport
- CGC · Crystal River-Captain Tom Davi, runway 27, 4,557 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, ADS-B, Auto-pilot
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 17, 2020
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,651 total · 231 in this make and model
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 2, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 339 total · 7 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- CGC
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.6 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.