Accident Details
On July 26, 2012, at approximately 1015 Alaska daylight time, a Beechcraft F33A Bonanza, registration N334DH, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power after takeoff from Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska. The airplane was operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The certificated airline transport pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan had been filed. The flight departed Fairbanks International Airport at approximately 1015, destined for Homer, Alaska.
Pilot and Flight Context
At the time of the accident, the pilot, aged 60, owned and operated a tour group business called “Let’s Fly Alaska,” in which pilots provide their own airplanes and travel as a group on guided tours. He was leading a group of 12 airplanes on an aerial tour. The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with multiple ratings, including airplane multi-engine land, rotorcraft-helicopter, and commercial privileges for airplane single-engine land and sea. His most recent third-class medical was issued on February 10, 2012, with a requirement to wear corrective lenses.
Aircraft Information
The Beechcraft F33A, manufactured in 1975, was registered to the owner in October 2003. It was equipped with a Continental IO-550 engine (300 horsepower) and a Hartzell PHC-C3YF-1RF three-blade propeller. The aircraft had accumulated approximately 5036 total flight hours, with its most recent annual inspection completed on January 1, 2012. The engine was installed under a supplemental type certificate (STC SA2200SW) by D’Shannon Products LTD on November 12, 2010, about 165 hours before the accident.
Events Leading to the Accident
The pilot stated that the airplane was fueled by a commercial vendor the day before the accident, and a preflight inspection was completed. On the day of the accident, he sumped the fuel drains and prepared for departure. Start, taxi, and before takeoff checks were normal. Just after takeoff, as the airplane climbed through about 400 feet above ground level, the engine suddenly lost all power. Unable to land straight ahead due to a fire fighter training area containing a derelict McDonnell Douglas DC-6 and an active firing range located approximately 1075 feet off the end of the runway, the pilot elected to make a 90-degree right turn and land in an adjacent field.
The airplane was equipped with four video cameras mounted externally. Audio footage captured the start, taxi, takeoff, and loss of engine power. Approximately 3 minutes 36 seconds after engine start, the airplane began taxiing to runway 20L. It held short for about 5 minutes 30 seconds, during which no sounds consistent with higher RPMs were recorded. About 10 minutes 24 seconds after engine start, the takeoff roll began, and 41 seconds later, engine power was lost.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was southwest of runway 20L on Fairbanks International Airport property. The airplane came to rest on a heading of about 285 degrees magnetic. The fuselage forward of the cockpit was crushed aft; the cockpit was intact. Both wings remained attached, with the right wing bent upward from midspan outboard. Flight control surfaces remained connected, and the landing gear was retracted. The engine remained attached and was relatively free of impact damage. The fuel pump’s drive gear and shear shaft were intact; fuel was present upon hand rotation. Disassembly of the fuel manifold showed clear fuel with no impurities or water. All three propeller blades had aft bending.
The aircraft was equipped with a JPI Fuel Scan 450 fuel computer, which indicated 1.0 gallons of fuel used and 73.0 gallons remaining when powered on.
Investigation Findings
The engine was removed and examined at Alaskan Aircraft Engines Inc. on August 2, 2012. It was placed on a test stand, started, and run for about 10 minutes with no anomalies. A magneto check showed a drop of 75 RPM for the left magneto and 100 RPM for the right. Power adjustments from idle to full power were normal. A fuel sample from the fuel truck drawn by an FAA safety inspector showed no anomalies. The ignition switch, fuel system, and vent system were examined and functioned normally. The JPI 700 engine analyzer data (recording exhaust gas temperature, cylinder head temperature, oil temperature, outside air temperature, and battery voltage) showed no anomalies during taxi and takeoff before the power loss.
Airport Information
Fairbanks International Airport is a public airport in Class Delta airspace, located 3 miles southwest of Fairbanks, Alaska, at an elevation of 439 feet. At the time, it had three open runways and one open waterway. The Don Bennett firing range, an outdoor shooting range for law enforcement, is located on airport property approximately 1075 feet from the departure end on the extended centerline of runway 20L. It is not depicted in the FAA Airport Facilities Directory; NOTAMs are issued only when active. In his written statement, the pilot recommended relocating the training areas off the departure end of runway 20L to allow straight-ahead landing in emergencies.