- Date
- September 13, 1995, 15:55 local (19:55 UTC)
- Place
- Hendersonville, NC
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6721DBeech 77
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950913029659A
- Case key
- 37826
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 failure of the pilot-in-command to perform preflight weight and balance calculations resulting in the airplane exceeding the maximum gross takeoff weight limitations.
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 stated he did not compute the airplane weight and balance nor do any preflight performance calculations. On takeoff the airplane would not accelerate nor climb. The airplane crashed into trees and the ground. Postaccident calculations revealed the airplane was 260 pounds over maximum gross takeoff weight limitations.
Factual narrative
On September 13, 1995, about 1555 eastern daylight time, N6721D, a Beech BE-77 crashed on takeoff from the Hendersonville Airport, Hendersonville, North Carolina, on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at time and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private pilot and passenger received serious injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot stated both he and the passenger and the cargo on the airplane may have placed the airplane over the gross weight limitation of the airplane. After liftoff the airplane would not climb, and crashed into trees off the end of the runway and came to rest between two residences. Subsequent computation of the airplane weight and balance revealed the airplane was 260 pounds over maximum gross weight at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6721D
- Reported as
- Beech 77
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- WA-84
- Airframe hours
- 6,130
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 118 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William R. Ledbetter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 26, 1995 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- OA7
- Destination
- 5N4 · Lincolntown, NC
- Airport
- OA7 · Hendersonville, runway 14, 3,075 × 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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,027 total · 234 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AVL, 35 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.