- Date
- May 20, 1995, 16:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- New Meadows, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3850JBeech 77
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 29, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950520012159A
- Case key
- 42152
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
A partial loss of engine power after takeoff for undetermined reasons.
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 that after a normal runup and takeoff, the engine RPM dropped from 2400 to 2000. He had insufficient runway available to abort the takeoff and made an emergency landing on a nearby road. The aircraft impacted a fence near the edge of the road.
Factual narrative
On May 20, 1995, approximately 1630 mountain daylight time (MDT), a Beech 77, N3850J, impacted a fence while attempting an emergency landing just after takeoff from New Meadows Airport, New Meadows, Idaho. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The personal pleasure flight, which was departing for Boise, Idaho, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed, and the ELT, which was activated by the impact, was turned off at the scene.
According to the pilot, the aircraft experienced a partial power loss just after takeoff, and he attempted to land on a nearby road. During the attempted emergency landing, the aircraft impacted a fence near the edge of the road. The aircraft was inspected after the accident by FAA inspectors, who noted that the carburetor was running very rich. The carburetor was removed and tested, with no abnormalities noted. No mechanical discrepancies were found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3850J
- Reported as
- Beech 77
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- WA-236
- Airframe hours
- 2,771
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Westerberg, R. & Sorenson, D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 6, 1994 · 110 hours before
- Departed
- 1U4
- Destination
- BOI · Boise, ID
- Airport
- 1U4 · New Meadows, runway 14, 2,500 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
- 204 total · 22 in this make and model · 162 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.