- Date
- May 8, 1984, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- College Park, MD
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N18786Beech B19
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 35341
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 flt had arrived at the arpt between 1600 & 1615, & had landed on rwy 15. Winds generally were out of the sw at ABOUT10 KTS. The plt stated that during the flt he had observed a thunderstorm west of andrews afb (10 mi south.) After loading an ATC simulator & its accessories on board the acft, the plt taxied to the displaced threshold on the approach end of rwy 15. During this period, anemogram readings recorded by the univ of MD show that there was a sudden shift to winds out of the nw with gusts to 40 KTS. The plt commented that he wanted to beat the storm. Witnesses reported that the wind was between 300 & 330 degs with winds in excess of 20 KTS. One plt tried to warn the plt by waving his arms to call his attention to the wind conditions. The acft took off in a nose high attitude. The plt stated he maintained 75 KTS at max power but the acft continued to descend at about a 200 fpm descent until it impacted trees & fences of a tennis court. A 24 kt tailwind component can increase takeoff distances by as much as 80%.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N18786
- Reported as
- Beech B19
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MB-850
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James L. Webb
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 2, 1984
- Departed
- CGS · College Park, MD
- Destination
- CGE · Cambridge, MD
- Airport
- CGS · College Park, runway 15, 2,740 × 40 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,450 total · 345 in this make and model · 6,150 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 28 knots, gusting 52
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DCA, 11 nm away