Beechcraft A36 N8176M

Summary

On 26 August 2014 at about 23:45 local time, a Beechcraft A36 registered N8176M, operated by N8176M LLC, was involved in an accident near Houston, Texas, 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

26 August 2014 at 23:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Houston, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

West Houston (IWS)

Coordinates

29.7706, -95.6791

Aircraft

Beechcraft A36

Registration

N8176M

Category

Airplane

Year built

1991

Engines

1

Operator

N8176M LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Monroe

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14LA458

4 people had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during takeoff. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the pilot’s retraction of the landing gear before establishing a positive climb rate, which resulted in a gear-up landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that, shortly after takeoff, the airplane seemed to have a "performance/power loss" and that it was not climbing. He lowered the airplane's nose in an attempt to gain airspeed and retracted the landing gear. The airplane immediately descended back onto the runway, slid on its belly, and then struck several approach lights. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector witnessed the accident and said that, after the airplane departed, it entered a nose-high, exaggerated cross-control condition with the airplane's tail only about 10 ft above the runway. The inspector momentarily lost sight of the airplane, but, when he saw it again, it had landed on its belly and was sliding off the runway. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, the landing gear should only be retracted on takeoff once a positive climb rate has been established. No preimpact mechanical deficiencies were identified that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.