Beechcraft 35-B33 N82182

Summary

On 28 July 2013 at about 22:16 local time, a Beechcraft 35-B33 registered N82182, operated by Sohail Simjee, was involved in an accident near Lone Pine, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 July 2013 at 22:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Lone Pine, California, United States

Nearest airport

Lone Pine (KO26)

Coordinates

36.5747, -118.0464

Aircraft

Beechcraft 35-B33

Registration

N82182

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Sohail Simjee

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lone Pine → Corona

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13LA346

4 people had minor injuries.

A partial loss of engine power after takeoff for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to not execute the "Engine Failure After Liftoff" emergency procedures outlined in the Pilot’s Operating Handbook.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he performed a full preflight and engine run-up before departure. He leaned the fuel mixture for takeoff, and the auxiliary fuel pump switch was in the "off" position. After takeoff, at 300 ft above ground level, the pilot noticed that the airplane was not climbing normally and had entered a slight descent. The engine then began to sputter. The pilot stated that he did not have time to execute the "Engine Failure After Liftoff" procedures outlined in the Pilot's Operating Handbook. He performed a gear-up, forced landing straight ahead onto flat, desert terrain. After the airplane stopped, the pilot noticed a fire emanating from the left wing. The three passengers egressed through the right cabin door, and the pilot followed. The fire spread and subsequently engulfed most of the airplane's cabin before firefighters arrived and put it out. A postaccident examination of the fuel system and engine did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that, if the pilot had executed the applicable emergency procedures, the engine might have regained power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.