Commander 114 N516CA

Summary

On 30 March 2000 at about 20:02 local time, a Commander 114 registered N516CA was involved in an accident near Hanford, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 March 2000 at 20:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Hanford, California, United States

Nearest airport

Hanford Muni (HJO)

Coordinates

36.2708, -119.6295

Aircraft

Commander 114

Registration

N516CA

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

LAX00FA144

4 people died.

undetermined. The pilot's failure to reject the takeoff and his failure to retract the landing gear following liftoff were factors.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After takeoff, the airplane did not climb and collided with a utility pole near the end of the runway. It then crashed onto a city street, and caught fire after impacting the pavement. The airport manager observed the airplane on its takeoff roll. He noted that the engine had normal sounds, and that the entire runway was used for the takeoff roll. At the accident site, the flaps were found in the position specified by the takeoff checklist in the pilot's operating handbook (POH). The landing gear was extended, indicating it was not retracted following liftoff. The damage to the propeller found during the postaccident examination of the wreckage was indicative of operation at high rpm. Using the maximum allowable gross weight of the airplane, sea level pressure, and 20 degrees centigrade temperature, the Normal Takeoff Distance Chart (10 degrees flap extension) in the POH indicated that the airplane would require 2,100 feet to takeoff and climb to a 50-foot height. The runway used during the accident flight was 3,962 feet long. Examination of the thermally destroyed wreckage failed to reveal a reason for the lack of expected airplane performance.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.