On August 12, 2018, about 0832 central daylight time, a Piper PA32R airplane, N9894K, impacted terrain near South Beloit, Illinois after departing from Beloit Airport (44C), Beloit, Wisconsin. The pilot and one passenger suffered minor injuries, one passenger suffered serious injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to DBG Aviation Inc. and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was destined for Baraboo–Wisconsin Dells Airport (DLL), Baraboo, Wisconsin.
After takeoff from runway 25, the pilot stated the engine cowling opened and begin to rapidly swing back and forth. Based on his concern the cowling might fracture the windshield and cause an injury, the pilot reduced power and considered landing straight ahead. Realizing he was too far down the runway to land, the pilot increased power and attempted to climb and return to the runway with a shallow left bank. The airplane developed a sink rate and impacted a cornfield about ½ mile off the end of the runway, damaging the engine mounts and fuselage. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal flight operations.
The pilot stated that he was very startled by the sudden and unexpected opening of the cowling, which distracted him from maintaining airspeed control. A Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team (FAAST) safety briefing titled "Startle Response", located in the public docket for this investigation, included the following information:
Humans are subject to a "startle response" when they are faced with unexpected emergency situations and may delay action or initiate inappropriate action in response to the emergency. Some examples of unexpected events during flight that could crop up and cause an emergency, or an accident if it is not managed properly, include:
• Partial/full loss of power on takeoff
• Landing gear extension/retraction failure
• Bird strike
• Cabin door opening
Train and plan for emergencies. In many cases, pilots don't review and practice how they will handle unexpected events and abnormal or emergency situations, except during flight reviews or other recurrent training.
"Chair Flying" - Unexpected events, especially those occurring close to the ground, require rapid, appropriate action. Your chances of a safe outcome are greatly improved if your response to an unexpected event is planned out ahead of time. Review "what if" scenarios in your head and practice what you would immediately do should a certain event take you by surprise.