Beechcraft E18S N686Q

Summary

On 11 April 2002 at about 00:25 local time, a Beechcraft E18S registered N686Q, operated by Charles T. Madsen, was involved in an accident near Juneau, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 April 2002 at 00:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Juneau, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Juneau International Airport (JNU)

Coordinates

58.3583, -134.5828

Aircraft

Beechcraft E18S

Registration

N686Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Charles T. Madsen

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Juneau → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC02FA028

1 person died.

The pilot's excessive loading of the airplane that precipitated an inadvertent stall/mush during the initial climb.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The certificated airline transport pilot was departing on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The purpose of the flight was to deliver a load of wooden roofing shakes to a friend's remote lodge. Witnesses reported that just after takeoff, as the airplane climbed to about 200 to 300 feet above the ground, the airplane abruptly pitched up about 70 degrees, and drifted to the right. The airplane continued to turn to the right as the nose of the airplane lowered momentarily. As the airplane flew very slowly the landing gear was extended. The nose of the airplane pitched up again, the right wing dropped, and the airplane descended. One witness described the descent as: "The wings rocked back and forth as it descended, like a card in the wind, with the nose of the airplane slightly higher." The airplane impacted shallow water in an area of tidal mud flats. A postaccident investigation revealed that the estimated gross weight of the airplane at takeoff was 11,500.8 pounds, 1,400.8 pounds in excess of the airplane's maximum takeoff gross weight. The airplane's center of gravity could not be calculated due to the fact that the exact location/station of the cargo could not be determined. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.