- Date
- February 22, 1996, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Brownwood, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N178DPBeech P35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960222002439A
- Case key
- 19769
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 follow manufacturer's procedures and premature gear retraction.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that the aircraft lifted off but 'would not climb or accelerate.' He believed that the landing gear collapsed about the time of rotation. One witness said he observed the right gear door to be partially open when the airplane was at about 10 or 15 feet AGL. Examination of the site and the airplane revealed 35 propeller strike marks and imprints in the runway corresponding to the belly and gear doors of the airplane. The landing gear handle was found in the retract position. Manufacturer's directions call for the gear to be retracted once a positive rate of climb is established.
Factual narrative
On February 22, 1996, at 1030 central standard time, a Beech P35, N178DP, registered to and operated by a private owner, was substantially damaged during takeoff near Brownwood, Texas. The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries. The aircraft was being operated as a personal flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight for which a flight plan was not filed.
The airplane was departing runway 17 at Brownwood Airport. The pilot reported that the aircraft lifted off "but would not climb or accelerate." He also reported that he believed "a landing gear collapsed at or about rotation and that the propeller contacted the runway. I spent too much time trying to find the problem and ran out of runway." The airplane came to rest in an upright position less than 1/4 mile from the end of the runway. The airplane sustained damage to the wings, engine mount, firewall, propeller, and tail.
A witness to the accident reported that the airplane was about 10 to 15 feet high when he noticed the right landing gear door was partially down.
On scene inspection by the FAA inspector revealed that there were 35 propeller strikes on the runway and several imprints corresponding to the landing gear doors and belly of the airplane on the runway. Inspection of the cockpit area of the airplane revealed that the landing gear handle was in the "up" position.
The pilot's operating manual provided by the manufacturer stated that the gear should be retracted after a positive rate of climb has been established.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N178DP
- Reported as
- Beech P35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D7090
- Engine
- Continental IO-470N, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jack W. Lee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 21, 1996 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- BWD · TX
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
- 69
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,927 total · 3,700 in this make and model · 3,419 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.