MIA07LA133

NTSB accident investigation · Beech B36TC · Clearwater, FL · August 18, 2007

Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
August 18, 2007, 10:35 local (14:35 UTC)
Place
Clearwater, FL
Injuries
1 serious, 2 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Initial climb
Aircraft
N6750CBeech B36TC
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 29, 2007
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA FSDO
FAA report
20070818019269A
Case key
66466

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's improper rotation and climb during the takeoff which resulted in a stall/mush, a descent, and an impact with the ground.

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.

Loss of control - in flightTakeoff - initial climb
Rotation - improperPilot in commandCause
Climb - improperPilot in commandCause
Stall/mush - inadvertentPilot in command
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled
Terrain condition - ground

Analysis

The pilot stated that the day was hot and humid, and during the takeoff roll he rotated at 85 knots, with the engine developing full power, and no problems being noted. About 60 feet off the ground he said he raised the landing gear and shortly thereafter the airplane did one yaw to the right, and one yaw to the left. It then settled/pancaked straight down landing hard and flat, and then skidded some distance. According to the pilot the engine was producing good power, and was loaded within the weight and balance envelope, having 105 gallons of fuel on board, along with himself and two normal sized adults. The owner of the accident airplane said that he both observed the takeoff, and later spoke with the pilot while he was in the hospital, and the pilot told him that the takeoff roll had been uneventful, however, after rotating, and when about 50 feet in the air, the flight controls became mushy, and he did not have any elevator or rudder control. Other witnesses all stated that they saw the airplane lift off in the vicinity of the fuel farm, which is about 1100 feet from the beginning of the runway, and as the airplane climbed, they noticed that its wings began to rock increasingly, and the airplane began to porpoise. They further stated that the gear had been retracted when they saw the airplane at that point, and the airplane appeared as if it simply ceased flying. According to the witnesses, the engine sounded as if it was operating normally, and the propeller had also been rotating throughout the takeoff. An FAA inspector responded to the scene and his postcrash examination revealed that airplane's flight controls functioned normally, and there were no anomalies. In addition, another FAA inspector along with technicians from Teledyne Continental Motors, conducted a detailed examination of the airplane's engine and accessories, and no anomalies were noted.

Factual narrative

On August 18, 2007, about 1035 eastern daylight time, a Beech B36TC, N6750C, registered to, and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed while attempting to take off in Clearwater, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight to Spruce Creek, Florida. The private-rated pilot received serious injuries, and two passengers received minor injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

The pilot stated that the day was hot and humid, and during the takeoff-roll he rotated at 85 knots indicated airspeed, with the engine developing full power, and no problems being noted. About 60 feet off the ground he said he raised the landing gear and shortly thereafter the airplane did one yaw to the right, and one yaw to the left. It then settled/pancaked straight down. He said it did not feel like a stall had occurred, and he did not understand why it yawed and descended. He said he supposed it could have been a stall, but he had been familiar with stalls in the airplane, and it was not a normal stall. Instead it felt like he lost elevator and rudder control, or as if the autopilot had taken over the airplane. At the time, he said the airplane was in a climb attitude, at an indicated airspeed of 85 knots, and as it descended he said he saw the top of trees, and then "jerked" the landing gear up. He said the airplane landed hard and flat and then skidded some distance. According to the pilot the engine was producing good power, and was loaded within the weight and balance envelope at the time, having 105 gallons of fuel on board, along with himself and two normal sized adults.

The owner of the accident airplane said that he both observed the takeoff, and later spoke with the pilot while he was in the hospital, and the pilot told him that the takeoff roll had been uneventful, however, after rotating, and when about 50 feet in the air, the flight controls became mushy, and he did not have any elevator or rudder control.

An FAA inspector responded to the scene of the accident, and interviewed witnesses. According to the inspector, witnesses all stated that they saw the airplane lift off in the vicinity of the fuel farm, which is about 1100 feet from the beginning of the runway, and as the airplane climbed, they noticed that its wings began to rock increasingly, and the airplane began to porpoise. They further stated that the gear had been retracted when they saw the airplane at that point, and from what they saw it appeared as if the airplane simply ceased flying, and descended impacting the ground. According to the witnesses, the engine sounded as if it was operating normally, and the propeller had also been rotating throughout the takeoff.

The FAA inspector who responded to the scene said that during the course of his investigation the flight controls were noted to be functioning normally, and that there were no anomalies noted. The inspector further stated that he took a vehicle and measured the distance from the beginning of the runway, to the location where the airplane first impacted. He said the distance was 1100 feet, and there were several evenly positioned propeller slash marks in the asphalt on the runway, and the slash marks began at the first point of impact, and proceeded in the direction of travel. He also stated that he found 45 gallons of fuel remaining in the airplane, and that persons aboard the airplane included the pilot and two adults. In addition, he said it had been hot and humid day.

An FAA inspector, as well as a technicians from Teledyne Continental Motors, conducted a detailed examination of the airplane's engine and accessories and no anomalies were noted.

Aircraft

Registration
N6750C
Reported as
Beech B36TC
Category
Airplane
Serial number
393
Airframe hours
3,100
Engine
Teledyne Continental TSIO-520-UB, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Plane Stuff Too Inc.,
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · September 1, 2006
Departed
CLW · Clearwater, FL
Destination
7FL6 · Spruce Creek, FL
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
CLW · Clearwater Airpark, runway 16, 3,500 × 75 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
66
Injuries
Serious
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3
Last flight review
April 1, 2005
Seat
Left
Flight hours
852 total · 20 in this make and model · 809 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
130° at 3 knots
Visibility
9 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
84 °F, dew point 72 °F
Altimeter
30.09 inHg
Observed at
TPA

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.

Other investigations on N6750C · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.