BEECH C24R — Wheeling, IL

What happened

The pilot stated that the engine operated normally during the three pretakeoff run-ups that he performed. He stated that, after takeoff, the airplane began to sink, and he retracted the flaps at an altitude of about 200 feet above ground level. He turned the airplane back toward the airport, at which time the engine began to vibrate and lose power. The pilot leveled the wings, and the airplane contacted the roof of a building before descending into a parking lot where it struck five cars, and a postimpact fire ensued. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane having difficulty gaining altitude after takeoff. They reported that the airplane was in a nose-high attitude and that the wings were rocking back and forth. They stated that the airplane banked abruptly to the left and descended, that the landing gear remained extended, and that the flaps were retracted. The witnesses who heard the engine stated that it sounded normal during the takeoff. The engine had been overhauled and the airplane had been flown for 1 hour prior to the accident. The person who flew the airplane at that time stated it operated normally. Although a postaccident examination found foreign debris inside the fuel servo inlet strainer, the debris was most likely a result of the fuel servo being exposed to intense heat during the postimpact fire. All three propeller blades exhibited rotational signatures. Aircraft maintenance records and an inspection of the engine revealed that a low-pressure fuel pump had been installed on the engine during the engine overhaul instead of a high pressure pump. The low-pressure pump likely could not produce enough fuel pressure to sustain engine operation.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.