On February 27, 1979, a Beechcraft E18 (registration N711TL) operated by Burlington Air Express was involved in an aviation accident near Indianapolis, United States of America during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The loss of control was caused by the aircraft encountering wake turbulence left by a departing Boeing 727. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A twin-engine airplane crashed during its initial climb at Indianapolis Airport after encountering wake turbulence, resulting in injuries to both occupants.
What happened
Shortly after departing from the runway at Indianapolis Airport, a twin engine airplane entered an aerodynamic stall. The incident occurred while the aircraft was in its initial climb phase immediately following liftoff. The subsequent impact with the ground resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. There were two injuries reported among the occupants of the aircraft.
Findings
Investigations into the accident concluded that the pilot lost control of the aircraft due to environmental factors. Specifically, the aircraft encountered heavy wake turbulence generated by a Boeing 727 that had departed from the same runway just prior to the incident. This encounter with the preceding aircraft's vortex turbulence led to the uncontrolled descent and collision with the terrain.
Probable cause
The loss of control was caused by the aircraft encountering wake turbulence left by a departing Boeing 727.
