N6699BBeech 77

On February 28, 2018, at 1815 central standard time, a Beech 77, N6699B, impacted terrain during initial climb at Odessa Airport-Schlemeyer Field (ODO), Odessa, Texas. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the private pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was registered to an individual and operated by another individual under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight that was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local flight was to remain in the ODO traffic pattern and was originating at the time of the accident.

According the Federal Aviation Administration inspector from the Lubbock Flight Standards District Office, the airplane owner was not the registered owner of the airplane. The airplane owner allowed the pilot to fly the airplane hoping that the pilot would buy the airplane. The last annual inspection of the airplane was in 2016.

A National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Accident/Incident Report Form 6120 was not received from the airplane owner. A completed Form 6120 was received from the pilot.

The pilot stated that he and the airplane owner performed a preflight inspection of the airplane, which included checking the fuel and oil. The pilot said that once fuel was added, the airplane "checked out good." The pilot stated they "looked over" the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) for the airplane to "familiarize" himself with the airplane. He then started the airplane, and it ran "nice and smooth no issues on startup." He taxied the airplane to the fuel pumps to obtain fuel and then taxied to runway 29 (6,200 feet by 100 feet, asphalt) where he performed a run-up, and there were "no problems." He planned on departing from runway 29 and remain in the airport traffic pattern for touch-and-go landings. He said during the takeoff roll, the airplane accelerated to 49 knots about ½ down the runway. He rotated the nose of the airplane and lifted the airplane "gradually." He noticed that upon lift-off, the airplane's "acceleration and power started to disappear." He lowered the airplane 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 would sound; he aborted the climb. There was no useable runway remaining, and the airplane was approaching a densely populated area, so he executed a slight right bank turn to remain over the airport. The stall warning horn sounded, and the airplane "dropped from the sky."

The pilot stated that he was not sure of how the accident could have been prevented other than not flying at night or having aborted the takeoff earlier in the takeoff phase.

The pilot stated his total flight experience in the accident make and model of airplane was 0 hours.

Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the airplane wing flaps were in the fully retracted position. One of the two propeller blades had leading edge gouges and S-shaped bending. The second propeller blade had chordwise scratching/polishing, and the blade tip was curled inboard about 180° in the spanwise direction. The reduction of any engine power could not be determined.

According to the Beech 77 POH, the bottom of the airspeed indicator was 54 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS). The POH Takeoff checklist stated the takeoff rotation speed was 56 knots.

With an approximate airport elevation of 3,004 feet, an altimeter setting of 29.81 inches of mercury, an outside air temperature of 19°Celsius, the pressure altitude was 3,107 feet. ODO recorded wind about the time of the accident as 320°at 14 knots. The approximate headwind component with a departure from runway 29 was 12 knots. Under these conditions and with a maximum takeoff weight of 1,675 lbs., the POH TAKEOFF DISTANCE – HARD SURFACE chart showed an approximate takeoff distance ground roll and takeoff distance over a 50-foot obstacle as 900 feet and 1,350 feet, respectively.

The Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3), Chapter 5, Takeoffs and Departure Climbs, Rejected Takeoff/Engine Failure, stated:

Prior to takeoff, the pilot should identify a point along the runway at which the airplane should be airborne. If that point is reached and the airplane is not airborne, immediate action should be taken to discontinue the takeoff. Properly planned and executed, the airplane can be stopped on the remaining runway without using extraordinary measures, such as excessive braking that may result in loss of directional control, airplane damage, and/or personal injury.