Beechcraft 36 N408P

Summary

On 6 December 2019 at about 18:15 local time, a Beechcraft 36 registered N408P was involved in an accident near Spring Branch, Texas, United States. 5 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 December 2019 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Spring Branch, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Kestrel Airpark (1T7)

Coordinates

29.8117, -98.4261

Aircraft

Beechcraft 36

Registration

N408P

Category

Airplane

Year built

2004

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Antonio → Ennis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20TA031

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate preflight performance planning and his operation of the airplane outside of the manufacturer's specified weight and balance limitations, which resulted in a failure of the airplane to become airborne, an aborted takeoff, and subsequent runway excursion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that, during takeoff, the engine sounded normal, but when he tried to rotate the airplane at a speed of about 80 knots, the airplane would not fly, and he felt it "shudder." He then reduced the engine power to abort the takeoff and maneuvered the airplane into the grass to slow it down, resulting in substantial damage to both wings. The pilot stated that he was unaware of the density altitude at the time of departure and also stated that he used 2,100 lbs for the basic empty weight of the airplane when calculating the takeoff weight and did not think the airplane was close to its maximum gross weight. Review of the airplane's most recent weight and balance information revealed a basic empty weight of 2,623.34 lbs. When combined with the cargo weight, the weights of the pilot and four passengers, and the fuel load, the airplane was about 231 lbs over its maximum takeoff weight at the time of the accident. A review of the manufacturer's supplied flaps-retracted takeoff distance chart located in the pilot's operating handbook revealed that the airplane's weight at the time of the accident exceeded the chart's performance parameters. Additionally, the data provided did not include penalties or enhancements for sloped runways (the runway had 1.4° upslope). The pilot's failure to obtain the correct weight and balance information for the airplane resulted in his operation of the airplane outside of its limitations and the airplane's inability to take off in the available runway and a subsequent runway excursion.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.