What happened
On August 14, 2011, a Cessna P210N, registration N7825K, departed Burley Municipal Airport in Burley, Idaho, bound for Provo, Utah. The flight was a private transportation mission under 14 CFR Part 91, and no flight plan had been filed.
Witnesses observed the aircraft accelerating down runway 020, lifting off approximately three-quarters of the way down the runway. After liftoff, the main landing gear retracted. At an estimated altitude of 75 feet above ground level, the aircraft entered a left bank and began a left turn. During this maneuver, the airplane entered a gradual descent, eventually impacting an asphalt road just beyond the airport boundary. The left wingtip struck the road first, followed by the belly and propeller. The aircraft then struck railroad tracks and slid approximately 5, 5 feet before an intense fire consumed the airframe.
All 4 occupants sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the engine and airframe showed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction that would have prevented normal operation. The engine's turbocharger, magnetos, and oil systems were found to be functional, and the throttle and propeller controls were in the full forward position at the time of impact.
Calculations regarding the aircraft's performance noted that the airplane was operating in high density altitude conditions, with a calculated density altitude of 7,116 feet. The aircraft was also estimated to be at or very near its maximum takeoff gross weight of 4,000 pounds. Additionally, a tailwind of approximately 6 knots was present during the takeoff.
Findings
- The pilot failed to maintain sufficient altitude and aircraft control during a turn shortly after liftoff.
- The aircraft was operating at maximum gross weight.
- High density altitude and a tailwind contributed to the loss of altitude during the bank.
- The vertical component of lift was insufficient to maintain altitude once the bank angle was initiated.