N50TBSocata TB 30 EPSILON · 1985

On November 1, 2019, at 1635 eastern daylight time, a Socata TB-30 Epislon, N50TB, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Kalamazoo, Michigan. The pilot received serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot stated that, during the takeoff roll, the engine noise and airplane acceleration were normal. The airplane lifted off the runway and the pilot retracted the flaps, retracted the landing gear, and turned the electric fuel pump off. While the airplane climbed through 300 to 400 ft above ground level, the engine began to lose power and the airplane could not maintain altitude. The pilot thought that he could perform a forced landing on runway 9 or its taxiway but chose to land on the taxiway to avoid trees, building, and roads along the glidepath. The pilot stated that the flaps were not extended because did not want to increase drag.

During the turn, the stall warning horn annunciated due to the high bank angle and low airspeed. The pilot lowered the airplane nose to maintain airspeed, but a “significant” descent rate developed, and the airplane did not have enough altitude to reach the taxiway. The pilot then decided to land on a grass area with the landing gear retracted because he did not want to risk flipping the airplane over on soft ground during landing. The pilot stated that, as the airplane neared the ground, he attempted to reduce the descent rate by flaring as much as possible, but with reduced airspeed, the airplane stalled again. The airplane impacted the ground with a “great deal of force” and slid to a stop.

Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the left wing. The left wing fuel tank was broken open and contained unusable fuel. The right fuel tank was full of fuel. The propeller exhibited scratching and aft bending. The fuel supply line leading from the firewall to the engine contained no fuel. The spark plugs exhibited coloration consistent with normal combustion. The engine did not exhibit external indications of component failure. Flight control continuity was established. A postaccident engine run was not performed.