Accident
On February 14, 2012, at about 1340 Pacific standard time, a foreign-registered (Australia) Beech Aircraft Corp. G18-S, registration VH-NWB, landed hard during an aborted takeoff at Hollister Municipal Airport (CVH), Hollister, California. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Substantial damage occurred to the left wing. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local area test flight.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that he was to ferry the airplane to Australia the following day with a planned intermediate stop in Hilo, Hawaii. He had performed two test flights the day before the accident without incident. During those flights, the right-hand engine had a slightly higher oil temperature indication than the left engine, but it was still within operating limitations. Additionally, there was a shudder in flight that lasted no more than a second or two.
On the day of the accident, the pilot decided to undertake one more test flight before departing for Hilo. He took a mechanic along to view the oil gauge and feel the shudder. While on the ground, there was no high oil temperature indication. As the airplane began its takeoff roll, the pilot indicated it was not as perfect as the earlier flights. At about 50 miles per hour (mph), the tail came up, and at 100 mph the main wheels lifted off the ground. The speed continued to increase during climb out.
About 30 feet above the ground, the pilot stated that without notice the right wing fell and he believed the right engine had lost some power. He countered with aileron control, which was not effective because the airspeed was below blue line. The pilot immediately retarded the left engine in an attempt to return to a wings level attitude. He stated that this corrective step was necessary, but perhaps too aggressive. The airplane subsequently descended and landed hard on the left main landing gear, which blew the tire. The airplane departed the side of the runway, coming to rest in a grassy area.
Mechanic Report
The mechanic reported that during the takeoff roll, as the airplane was gaining speed, the tail began to lift and the airplane veered to the left of the runway, almost running over a taxiway exit sign. Corrections were made, and the left wing began to lift as the airplane headed back toward runway centerline. As the airplane approached the center of the runway, it became airborne with the left wing higher than the right wing. The airplane was not aligned with runway centerline, and the airspeed was about 90 to 95 knots or less. The airplane attained an altitude of about 70 to 90 feet above ground level when the nose dropped and the left wing began to drop lower than the right wing. The airplane descended and ground looped to the left of the runway, coming to rest in a ditch next to the runway.
In the mechanic's statement, he did not indicate a mechanical malfunction or loss of power to the right engine.