FTW97FA313

During the night instructional flight in which a steep climb was initiated after takeoff, the aircraft descended near vertical, impacted trees and terrain. A post impact fire and explosion ensued. Witnesses reported that the airplane lifted off the runway, accelerated as it remained in ground effect, and near the departure end of the runway, climbed in a vertical attitude, banked, and then descended. Local authorities and the flight instructor's students had previously observed the flight instructor perform this maneuver in single-engine high-wing aircraft. The flight instructor had 17.1 hours in this low wing single engine aircraft including one night flight (1.5 hours) with takeoffs and landings. Physical evidence at the site indicated that the airplane impacted the ground in a nose low attitude in a left bank. The gear and flaps were in the retracted configuration. No evidence of any pre-impact mechanical anomalies were found. Flight control continuity was established. The stabilator up cable was found severed due to arcing and tensile overload.

History of flight

On August 18, 1997, at 2050 central daylight time, a single engine Beech B24R airplane, N2521W, owned by Valley Resources, Inc., of Lubbock, Texas, and operated by Abilene Aero of Abilene, Texas, under Title 14 CFR Part 91, impacted the terrain following a loss of control during takeoff initial climb from the Albany Municipal Airport, Albany, Texas. The commercial pilot/flight instructor and the student pilot received fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed during the impact sequence and by a post impact fire. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed. The flight departed Abilene, Texas, at 2016 for the instructional flight.

During telephone interviews, conducted by the investigator-in-charge (IIC), and on written statements, witnesses and the flight instructor's students reported their observations and experiences. Two witnesses observed the airplane approach the Albany Municipal Airport, as they drove to the airport. Upon reaching the airport, one of the witness observed the airplane land and taxi back to the departure ramp for runway 17. This witness observed the airplane takeoff and stated that the airplane lifted off and appeared to remain in ground effect close to the runway. Subsequently, the airplane entered a near vertical climb to approximately 200 feet AGL, rolled to the right and then descended almost vertical to the ground. A post impact fire and explosion ensued. The second witness reported seeing a green flash of light (right wing navigation light) arc to the right toward the ground and then he saw smoke and fire. These witnesses called the local sheriff's department. Local authorities reported there was a bright moon, with the temperature in the high 80's, no wind, and a few high scattered clouds at the time of the accident.

Several months before the accident, three Shackelford County Deputy Sheriffs observed the flight instructor fly a Cessna single engine aircraft off the runway at Albany, Texas. One deputy sheriff stated that the aircraft lifted off the runway "as soon as possible and travel[ed] the length of the runway at a very low altitude and once arriving at the end of the runway pulled strai[gh]t up and held that position for a short period of time and then bank[ed] to the east and level[ed] his wings." Another deputy sheriff, who reported observing the Cessna aircraft on several occasions, stated the pilot would fly the airplane "to the end of the runway and pull straight up" prior to level flight. The other deputy sheriff stated that he observed a high wing airplane "off the ground about midways retract the landing gear, stay about 30 to 50 feet above the runway until the south end where it would go almost straight up a ways then head south."

A student, who had flown with the flight instructor for several months, and practiced short field takeoffs at the Albany Municipal Airport, during clear night weather conditions stated "we got the lowest speed we could takeoff and lifted off. We built speed until almost the end of the runway. I think we had reached about 100 knots when we started into a steep climb. During the climb we banked right and kept climbing. We climbed until we bleed off airspeed." Subsequently, the flight instructor leveled the aircraft and the flight returned to Abilene. This student recalled that the instructor said "we were practicing for trees or hills at the end of a short runway."

Students reported that the flight instructor demonstrated spins in aircraft that were approved for intentional spins. The flight instructor expected the students to demonstrate entry, spin, and spin recovery. Spin training is not required by Title 14 CFR Part 61 for private pilot certification.

Several of the flight instructor's students described the instructor as capable, serious, smooth with the flight controls, competent, and safety conscious.

Personnel information

During interviews, conducted by the IIC, personnel from Abilene Aero, reported that the flight instructor was employed by Abilene Aero in November 1996. The commercial pilot/flight instructor's training was accomplished at Spartan School of Aeronautics, Tulsa, Oklahoma. At the time of employment with Abilene Aero, the flight instructors' total flight time was 359.9 hours. Pre-employment documents did not list any flight time in the Beech B24R airplane.

The commercial pilot/flight instructor's logbook and the FAA records reviewed by the IIC showed that the pilot began flight training in July 1992 at Tulsa. During the pilot's certification, he failed the initial private pilot practical flight test on January 14, 1994. Subsequently, this test was passed on January 21, 1994. On June 18, 1995, the pilot failed the initial commercial pilot practical test in the area of takeoff and landings, and the initial instrument rating practical test. The commercial certification with the instrument rating was passed on June 21, 1995. The pilot failed the initial flight instructor practical test on May 21, 1996, in numerous areas and failed the re-testing on June 5, 1996, in the areas of fundamentals of flight, ground reference maneuvers, and emergency procedures. Subsequently, the initial flight instructor rating test was obtained on July 7, 1996.

The commercial pilot/flight instructor's logbook indicated his total flight time as 944.7 hours with 122.2 hours in the Beech BE36 (low wing retractable gear aircraft). The logbook indicated total night flight time of 99.5 hours of which 22 hours were in the last 90 days. Total flight time logged in the Beech B24R (N2521W) was 17.1 hours of dual instruction given to the student pilot/owner from June through August 1998. Night flight time logged in N2521W was a 1.5 hour flight on June 30, 1998, at the Abilene Regional Airport, Abilene, Texas. Stalls, slow flight, steep turns, touch and goes, and emergency procedures were logged for this 1.5 hour flight at Abilene.

The flight instructor scheduled the night cross country instructional flight with the student pilot from 2000 to 2200 on August 18, 1998, in N2521W. This was the first night flight in N2521W to the Albany airport. Logbook records revealed that the pilot had conducted night cross county flights in a Cessna 152 and a Cessna 150 on April 28 and May 6, 1998, respectively at the Albany airport.

The student pilot, who owned the airplane, obtained his third class medical certificate on May 6, 1997. On this medical application the student pilot listed his total flight time as 75 hours with 6 hours in the previous 6 months. The student pilot, who resided in Lubbock, Texas, enrolled in the private pilot certification course on May 13, 1997, at Abilene Aero, Abilene, Texas. The student pilot received 17.1 hours of dual instruction from the flight instructor at Abilene Aero from June through August 1998.

Aircraft information

Aircraft N2521W was topped with 23.1 gallons of fuel on the morning of August 18, 1998, at Abilene Aero, for a scheduled (1300-1500) flight. No discrepancies were reported with the aircraft (N2521W) following this flight. Subsequently the aircraft (N2521W) was topped with 27.0 gallons of fuel for the night instructional flight. Throughout the day numerous aircraft had been fueled by Abilene Aero with no discrepancies reported.

The Beech B24R aircraft, serial number MC-195, aircraft was manufactured in 1974 and a standard airworthiness certificate was issued for N2521W on November 27, 1973. The FAA registration records revealed that the airplane was registered to the current owner (student pilot) on July 28, 1997.

The aircraft and engine records were kept in the airplane and were destroyed by the post impact fire. Records supplied by the operator revealed that Airworthiness Directive (AD) 73-20-07 R2, for installation of new wing attachment structural parts, was permanently complied with in accordance with B