Beechcraft T34B N777SU

Summary

On 25 September 1997 at about 16:25 local time, a Beechcraft T34B registered N777SU was involved in an accident near Fremont, Michigan, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 September 1997 at 16:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Fremont, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Fremont Municipal Airport (3FM)

Coordinates

43.4594, -85.9509

Aircraft

Beechcraft T34B

Registration

N777SU

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI97FA300

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall. Also causal was the pilot's ostentatious display.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses said the surplus military trainer took off, retracted its landing gear, and accelerated as it flew about 10 to 15-feet above the runway. As it crossed the end of the departure runway it pitched up '...nearly vertical... .' The airplane continued to climb until it stalled, yaw-rolled to the left, pitched down, and changed its heading about 135-degrees. The airplane descended toward the ground at a witness reported 45-degree angle. One witness stated the engine was running at' ...full power... .' The airplane collided with the ground, slid to a stop, and a fire occurred. The on-scene investigation revealed no mechanical anomalies with the airframe, flight control system, or engine. The pilot had flown this airplane about 11.1 hours total time since receiving a checkout in the airplane by a pilot without a flight instructors certificate about 3-months before the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.