What happened
On July 22, 2024, at 1812 EDT, a Beech A36, registration N1089W, was involved in an accident near Ronkonkoma, New York. The aircraft was operating under Part 91 for a personal flight, departing from Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP). The pilot performed an intersection takeoff from runway 24, using the remaining 4,100 feet of the 7,006-foot runway.
Airport security footage showed a normal takeoff roll, liftoff, and initial climb. After the landing gear retracted, preliminary ADS-B data indicated the groundspeed decreased from 82 knots to 62 knots, followed by a descending left turn. Witnesses reported hearing "sputtering" and a "loud pop" during the climb. The aircraft subsequently impacted the terrain just off the paved runway threshold at an elevation of 106 feet.
The accident resulted in 2 fatal injuries.
The investigation
The wreckage path was oriented on a heading of approximately 165°. The impact site featured an 8-foot gouge in the grass, propeller slash marks, and a large crater containing engine and plexiglass debris. The aircraft came to rest upright with the nose facing the runway. The left wing's leading edge folded against the fuselage, and the left main and wingtip fuel tanks were empty, though evidence of fuel spillage was present on the grass and wing area. The right main tank contained approximately 20 gallons of 100LL fuel, and the right wingtip tank held about 2 gallons.
Mechanical examinations revealed:
- Flight control cables were continuous from the cockpit to the control surfaces.
- The propeller remained attached to the crankshaft; one blade was bent 30 degrees and the other 40 degrees.
- The engine's crankshaft, powertrain, and valvetrain were functional, and borescope examinations of the six cylinders, pistons, and valves showed no anomalies.
- Fuel injectors were unobstructed, and the engine-driven fuel pump functioned correctly.
- The fuel selector moved freely and was not obstructed.
- The oil filter and suction screen showed no contaminants.
- The six spark plugs showed normal wear, and both magnetos produced proper sparks during bench testing.