Accident Overview
On August 25, 2019, about 1500 central daylight time, a Cessna 425 airplane, N300GD, was substantially damaged during an aborted takeoff near Bethany, Oklahoma. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight Details
The pilot reported his intention to test a repaired autopilot on a local flight. After completing a normal preflight inspection and engine runup, he initiated the takeoff. Following confirmation of a positive rate of climb, the pilot raised the landing gear and confirmed it was locked in the retracted position. Suddenly, the airplane experienced a yaw to the right and left. The pilot determined that directional control was unattainable, so he elected to abort the takeoff. He reduced power to idle and performed a gear-up landing on the remaining runway. The airplane slid off the end of the runway onto a concrete pad, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination of the airplane's flight control system at the accident site revealed no anomalies. All control connections from the cockpit to the flight control surfaces were intact and appeared normal. Further inspection of the throttle quadrant and its linkages to the engines—including power levers, propeller levers, and fuel condition levers—was conducted at a secure facility. All quadrant levers moved freely and smoothly without binding. The friction lock on the right side of the quadrant was found fully backed off with no friction applied; when adjusted, it functioned properly. The power lever connections for both engines were correctly attached. With the power levers disconnected from the fuel control units (FCUs), the input levers on each FCU moved smoothly. All power control levers and cables were connected and operated normally.
No probable cause was determined from the examination. The source does not state a cause for the loss of directional control.