History of the Flight
On July 22, 2014, about 2158 local time, a Beechcraft A36 (BE36) registered as N20TC impacted the water after departing from Tafuna/Pago Pago International Airport (NSTU) in Pago Pago, American Samoa. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country flight to Honolulu, Hawaii (PHNL). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan had been filed.
The private-rated first pilot, aged 17, and his father, a private-rated pilot aged 55, were on a planned around-the-world trip. The father's blog indicated the journey started in Indianapolis, Indiana, with the son as pilot-in-command. The originally proposed route included stops in Australia, Pago Pago, Christmas Island, and then Honolulu. However, due to uncertainty about fuel availability on Christmas Island, the pilot decided to fly directly to Honolulu. The nighttime departure was intended to allow for a daylight arrival in Honolulu.
The ground crewman and his wife, who met the pilots at the airport, observed the pilot completing preflight checks. The crewman queried if they were ready to depart; the father replied yes, noting good weather. The crewman noted gusty and strong winds throughout the day and evening. The pilots donned life vests; the son occupied the left seat and the father the right seat. Engine startup was normal, and the airplane taxied for departure. After liftoff, the airplane made a right turn at the end of the runway. According to the ground crewman, the airplane climbed to only about 90 feet before suddenly nosing over into the ocean.
The ground crewman's wife observed that the airplane moved up and down and side to side after becoming airborne and did not gain altitude. It passed the VOR/TACAN located halfway down the runway at a low height. Before reaching the end of the runway, it banked right toward the ocean and continued losing altitude until she lost sight of it. No explosion or noise was heard.
Another witness, sitting on a seawall a couple of miles away, saw the airplane take off and noted it did not climb high. It suddenly nosed straight down into the water. An additional witness saw the airplane flying east toward open water at a low altitude; it dropped nose down into the water a minute later.
Rescue and Wreckage Recovery
The American Samoa Department of Public Safety initiated rescue operations. At 0040 hours, a strobe light attached to the pilot's life vest was observed; the pilot was still strapped to a seat and floating. Thermal burn marks and a strong odor of gasoline were noted on the body. Another strobe light was found attached to a portable emergency beacon. Only remnants of the airplane were recovered.
The support company's tracker showed the airplane on the runway and pinged a departure message at 2156. The next ping indicated the airplane was at 97 feet and 77 knots. No further updates were received.
Personnel Information
The first pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land and instrument ratings, and a third-class medical certificate issued February 19, 2014. He reported 12 hours total time on his medical application, but his instrument rating application (June 18, 2014) indicated 107.7 hours.
The second pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument ratings. He had a third-class medical certificate issued September 6, 2013, requiring corrective lenses, and was on a special issuance authorization. He reported 1,522 total hours with 110 hours in the previous 6 months.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a single-engine, low-wing Beech A36, serial number E-873. The engine was a Continental Motors IO-550-B4F with a Turbo-Flite turbonormalizing system. The day before the accident, fueling personnel added 168 gallons of Avgas: 30 gallons in the right inner wing tank, 7 gallons in the left inner wing tank, and 131 gallons in a bladder tank. The father stated the outer tip tanks were full. The father indicated they planned to depart about 2200, but later said they would delay due to high winds.
Several equipment additions were noted in FAA records, including a flight tracking system, a 160-gallon collapsible ferry fuel bladder tank, inflatable restraints, a different propeller, and an extended baggage area.
Meteorological Information
A METAR issued at 2151 local time for NSTU reported wind from 340 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 23 knots; visibility 10 miles; scattered clouds at 1,900 feet, broken at 10,000 feet; temperature 28°C; dew point 23°C; altimeter 29.81 inHg.
Additional Information
An experienced transoceanic pilot had been in contact with the father during trip planning. The father indicated the airplane had 249 gallons of fuel on board and planned to take off with 10 degrees of flaps, accelerate in ground effect, and climb slowly. The experienced pilot recommended a higher takeoff speed and caution to avoid sinking back to the runway. The investigation could not determine the actual technique used.