Beechcraft 77 N6699B

Summary

On 1 March 2018 at about 00:15 local time, a Beechcraft 77 registered N6699B, operated by Russ Padgett, was involved in an accident near Odessa, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one 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

1 March 2018 at 00:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Odessa, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Odessa Airport-Schlemeyer Fld (ODO)

Coordinates

31.9200, -102.3900

Aircraft

Beechcraft 77

Registration

N6699B

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Russ Padgett

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Odessa → Odessa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA114

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s improper takeoff procedures and his failure to abort the takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of experience in the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot had no flight time in the accident airplane make and model before his personal flight in the airplane. He said that he looked over the pilot's operating handbook (POH), performed a preflight inspection with the owner, and then obtained fuel and performed an engine run-up; no anomalies were noted. During the takeoff roll, the pilot began rotation about 1/2 of the way down the 6,200-ft-long runway at 49 knots, which was below the airplane's rotation speed and stall speed. The pilot stated that he continued the takeoff, and upon lift-off, the airplane's "acceleration and power started to disappear." He lowered the airplane's nose to increase airspeed as the airplane approached the departure end of the runway and then raised the nose gradually, but the stall warning horn sounded; he aborted the climb and executed a slight right bank turn to remain over the airport. He indicated that the stall warning horn sounded, and the airplane "dropped from the sky." Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the propeller blade damage was consistent with the engine producing power at the time of impact. There was no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. According to the takeoff performance chart in the POH, at gross weight, the airplane's takeoff distance ground roll and takeoff distance over a 50-ft obstacle were about 900 ft and 1,350 ft, respectively. Thus, sufficient runway remained had the pilot elected to abort the takeoff when the airplane exceeded its takeoff ground distance roll. According to the Federal Aviation Administration Airplane Flying Handbook, before takeoff, pilots should identify a point along the runway at which the airplane should be airborne; if the airplane is not airborne by that point, the pilot should take immediate action to discontinue the takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.