Introduction
On March 29, 2015, at about 1600 central daylight time, a Beech 35 single-engine airplane, registration N80462, impacted terrain after departing the Cedar Mills Airport (3T0) in Gordonville, Texas. The pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries, while two passengers received minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The aircraft was registered to and operated by a private individual. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal cross-country flight destined for Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (TYR) in Tyler, Texas, operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Accident Details
The pilot reported performing a soft field takeoff from the turf runway. The airplane lifted off at an indicated airspeed of 80 mph. As it neared the departure end of the runway, the pilot noticed the airplane was not climbing as expected, the indicated airspeed seemed unreliable, and the controls felt mushy, near stall speed. The airplane impacted trees and the roof of an unoccupied home, then struck terrain about 50 feet from the house, coming to rest upright after impacting two propane storage tanks. No propane was released, and there was no post-impact fire at the main wreckage.
Witness Accounts
Two witnesses observed the departure. They reported the airplane traveled quite a distance or halfway down the runway before becoming airborne. The right wing dropped, with one witness stating he thought the airplane "was going to crash right there." That witness did not think the engine speed was right and noted the airplane was slowly gaining altitude. The other witness reported the airplane was not gaining altitude and the engine sounded "strong" and did not cut out.
In a post-accident interview, the pilot stated it took longer than expected to get airborne due to soft ground, but the engine was developing full power. He thought a gust of wind hit the airplane, causing the right wing to dip and lose airspeed. The windsock showed light and variable winds. The runway was lined with thick trees on both sides. He had considered a downhill takeoff toward the lake but chose a soft field takeoff in the other direction due to possible tailwind after passing the tree line. He intended to request flight-following services from air traffic control once airborne.
Aircraft Examination
An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and technical representatives from the engine and airframe manufacturers examined the engine and airframe. The landing gear was in the down position, and the flap actuator corresponded to flaps up (retracted). The constant-speed, two-bladed propeller remained attached to the crankshaft; one blade was twisted and bent rearward about 8 inches from the hub, while the other had chordwise scratching with a portion of the blade tip broken off. The engine sustained thermal and impact damage, but no preimpact abnormalities were noted with the engine or airframe.
Weight and Balance
A review of aircraft maintenance records showed the last annual inspection was conducted on November 21, 2014. The last weight and balance sheet, completed on June 18, 2013, listed an empty weight of 1,765 lbs. The maximum gross weight of the airplane is 2,500 lbs. Using the pilot's listed weight and 28 gallons of fuel on board, the remaining useful load for the other three passengers and any cargo would be about 379 lbs.
Weather and Runway Information
The automated weather reporting station about 10 miles southeast of the accident site recorded wind from 210 degrees at 9 knots, gusting to 15 knots. Based on nearby weather conditions, the density altitude was about 2,249 ft.
Runway 7/25 at 3T0 is a turf/grass runway 3,000 ft long by 60 ft wide, surrounded by trees on three sides and a lake on the departure end of runway 7. The chart supplement notes 40 ft and 80 ft trees north and south of runway 25's centerline.
According to the airplane's takeoff distance chart, at maximum gross weight and the atmospheric conditions at the time, the airplane would have required a ground roll of about 800 ft and a takeoff distance of about 1,400 ft to accelerate to a safe takeoff speed and clear a 50-ft obstacle.