BEECH A36TC — Ogden, UT

What happened

The private pilot and three passengers departed on a cross-country flight in the turbocharged single-engine airplane. Witnesses saw the airplane during the takeoff and reported that about 3,700 ft down the 5,195-ft-long runway, the airplane was about 100 ft above the runway surface. The witnesses also noticed that the engine sounded "underpowered" and that the tail of the airplane was moving up and down as if the pilot was struggling to keep the airplane airborne. The airplane continued its climbout, and soon after, the pilot communicated to the tower controller that the airplane was "going down." The airplane impacted the right side of a north-bound freeway. Detailed examination of the airplane, engine, and propeller did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation.

Given the weights of the pilot, passengers, and fuel onboard, the airplane was near its maximum gross weight about the time of the accident. Additionally, the density altitude was about 6,500 ft. Both of these factors would have resulted in an increased takeoff distance and reduced climb performance, though review of performance data indicated that the runway available was adequately long to accommodate the airplane's predicted takeoff roll (2,109 ft) and distance to clear a 50-ft obstacle (3,401 ft). Although the actual loading of the airplane at the time of the accident could not be accurately determined, including the weight and location of any baggage and the positions of the rear passengers, it is likely that the airplane's center of gravity (CG) was outside of its forward end of the envelope as depicted on a weight and balance worksheet. A forward CG can result in nose heaviness and increased stall speed.

The pilot chose to operate the airplane under conditions which would have adversely affected its performance, namely, high gross weight, high density altitude, and with a CG that may have been forward of prescribed limits. Whether the pilot calculated the airplane's weight and balance before the flight and was prepared for the resulting negative effects on its takeoff performance could not be determined. Given the lack of anomalies observed during postaccident examination, it is unlikely that the pilot experienced a loss of engine power or mechanical failure during the takeoff; therefore, the reason for the pilot's loss of control shortly after takeoff could not be determined.

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