- Date
- August 15, 1998, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Worth, TX
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7344BBeech E35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980815044039A
- Case key
- 43906
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 maintain aircraft control during takeoff initial climb. A factor was the pilot lifting off the aircraft prematurely.
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 private pilot lost control of the airplane after takeoff. The pilot stated that shortly after takeoff he heard the stall warning horn so he lowered the nose to keep from stalling. When he lowered the nose he noticed that the airplane drifted to the left side of the runway. Subsequently, the left wing impacted a fence then the ground.
Factual narrative
On August 15,1998, at 1030 central daylight time, a Beech E35 airplane, N7344B, owned and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged during a loss of control on takeoff from Luck Field, near Fort Worth, Texas. The private pilot and his three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was destined for Rockport, Texas.
During a telephone interview conducted by the investigator-in-charge, the 220 hour pilot reported that he "was in a hurry to get to Rockport, Texas, because his friend (one of the passengers) was late for a meeting." The pilot added that during his takeoff from runway 34 he "lifted the nose too early on the takeoff roll." He heard the stall warning horn shortly after liftoff and lowered the nose to recover from the imminent stall. When he lowered the nose of the airplane, he noticed that the aircraft had drifted to the left side of the runway. Subsequently, the left wing impacted a fence and then the ground.
Examination of the airplane by the FAA inspector revealed that the nose and right main landing gear collapsed, and both the right and left wing spars were bent.
The pilot reported that the wind was from 090 degrees at 5 knots at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7344B
- Reported as
- Beech E35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-3807
- Airframe hours
- 7,700
- Engine
- Continental E-225-8, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Nick Cojocaru
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 31, 1998
- Departed
- F71
- Destination
- RKP · Rockport, TX
- Airport
- F71 · Luck Field, runway 34, 3,500 × 40 ft, asphalt
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 220 total · 150 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.