N9261SBeech C23 · 1976

On August 11, 2009, about 0819 eastern daylight time, a Beechcraft BE-23, N9261S, was substantially damaged during an attempted takeoff at Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB), Sanford, Florida. A student pilot was in the left seat, and a certificated private pilot was in the right seat; neither of them was injured. Both pilots declined to specify the purpose or nature of the flight. The flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.

According to several witnesses, the airplane was performing touch and go operations on runway 9R. The airplane landed, and was beginning another takeoff when the accident occurred. Just after liftoff, the airplane re-contacted the runway, and then veered off the right side the runway. The SFB air traffic control tower (ATCT) was operating at the time of the accident, but the personnel in the ATCT did not witness the accident.

Several days after the accident, the private pilot provided written evidence that indicated that he was flying the airplane when the accident occurred. He reported that he lost control of the airplane due to a gust of wind. In addition, he reported that there were no known mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident.

Left Seat Occupant

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) information, the individual in the left seat held a student pilot certificate, and he had approximately 40 total hours of flight experience. His most recent FAA third-class medical and student pilot certificate was issued in June 2009. The student pilot reported that his father was an owner of the corporation that was listed as the registered owner of the airplane.

Right Seat Occupant

The individual in the right seat held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating, and he had approximately 80 total hours of flight experience. He did not indicate that he had any previous flight time in the right seat. According to FAA-provided information, his most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued in July 2008, and his pilot certificate was issued in January 2009.

According to information provided by the FAA, the airplane was manufactured in 1976. It was an all-metal, low-wing design with tricycle-configuration landing gear, and was equipped with a Lycoming O-360 series engine. Examination of the maintenance records revealed that the most recent annual inspection was completed in September 2008. At that time, the airplane had a total time in service of 2,611 hours, and the engine had accumulated 1,430 hours since major overhaul. In 2007, the airplane was registered to the current owner, a corporation entitled "Sky Airlines" that was located in New Castle, Delaware.

The 0832 special weather observation at SFB included calm winds, 10 miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 27 degrees C, dew point 24 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.10 inches of mercury.

Information from the FAA and commercial sources indicated that runway 9R at SFB measured 6,647 feet long by 75 feet wide, and that the runway surface material was asphalt "in good condition." The runway was reported to be dry at the time of the accident.

According to information provided by the FAA inspector who responded to the accident scene, tire marks and ground scars indicated that the airplane initially veered slightly beyond the left edge of the runway, then crossed the runway, and continued into the grass beyond the right edge of the runway. The ground scars indicated that the airplane crossed, but did not descend into, a wide drainage ditch off the right side of the runway, and that the nose landing gear collapsed when it struck the far side of the ditch. The airplane traveled several hundred feet beyond the point where it initially departed the right edge of the runway, and came to rest south of the taxiway that paralleled the runway.