No fatalities

26 Jun 2008: Beech A36 — Jimmie N Crump — Ryegate, MT

Ryegate, MT, United States

On 26 Jun 2008, a Beech A36 operated by Jimmie N Crump was involved in an aviation accident near Ryegate, MT. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to abort the takeoff when the ground roll acceleration profile was determined to be insufficient for takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the shifting wind conditions. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported forcing the airplane airborne during takeoff from a turf runway after observing slower-than-expected airspeed; the airplane settled and collided with trees at the runway end.

Incident Summary

The pilot of an airplane reported that before departure, he checked the weather and performed a preflight inspection. He observed the direction of the windsock and determined that it favored a takeoff from runway 23. After an uneventful run-up, he began the takeoff roll.

Takeoff and Airspeed Observations

Halfway down the turf runway, the pilot observed the airplane's airspeed indicating 60 knots. He stated that at this point on the takeoff roll, he expected the airspeed to have reached 70 knots. The airplane continued to accelerate to 65 knots.

Decision to Force Airborne

With the end of the runway approaching, the pilot 'forced' the airplane airborne and retracted the landing gear. The airplane then settled to the ground and subsequently collided with trees at the end of the runway.

Post-Accident Wind Observation

After the accident, the pilot observed the wind direction and noted that it was out of the northeast. He opined that the airplane had encountered a sudden wind shift or downdraft during the takeoff roll.

Additional Details

No other information regarding the aircraft type, registration, engine count, date, operator, location, or occupant status was provided in the source. The report does not specify the extent of damage or any injuries.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Runway/landing area lengthContributed to outcomeAirspeed — Not attained/maintainedTree(s)