- Date
- September 30, 2015, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N800JTBeech V35B
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Houston FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20150930017679A
- Case key
- 92132
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 properly secure the cabin door prior to takeoff, resulting in the door opening during takeoff, an aborted takeoff, runway overrun, and collision with terrain.
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 private pilot reported that this was his first solo flight in this airplane. During the takeoff roll, the pilot reported that the main cabin door "popped open" around 60 knots. Believing he had sufficient runway remaining to stop, he reduced power to idle and applied "maximum braking." Subsequently, the airplane overran the runway surface and came to rest in a creek about 72 feet past the end of the runway. The pilot reported that the braking action available was "insufficient" to stop within the remaining runway distance. During a postaccident examination, a Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector performed an inspection and functional check of the brakes and no anomalies were found. Additionally, the inspector found skid marks that were 501 feet in length before the end of the runway. The left and right wing both sustained substantial damage.
Factual narrative
The private pilot reported that this was his first solo flight in this airplane. During the takeoff roll, the pilot reported that the main cabin door "popped open" around 60 knots. Believing he had sufficient runway remaining to stop, he reduced power to idle and applied "maximum braking." Subsequently, the airplane overran the runway surface and came to rest in a creek about 72 feet past the end of the runway. The pilot reported that the braking action available was "insufficient" to stop within the remaining runway distance. During a postaccident examination, a Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector performed an inspection and functional check of the brakes and no anomalies were found. Additionally, the inspector found skid marks that were 501 feet in length before the end of the runway. The left and right wing both sustained substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N800JT
- Reported as
- Beech V35B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-9231
- Built
- 1971
- Airframe hours
- 3,548.8
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-550, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 23, 2015
- Departed
- IWS · Houston, TX
- Destination
- DWH · Houston, TX
- Airport
- IWS · West Houston, runway 33, 3,953 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 18, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 125 total · 24 in this make and model · 56 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KTME, 12 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 23, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 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.