What happened
During the takeoff ground roll, the pilot of the aircraft reached a speed of approximately 100 knots when they realized the control lock had not been disengaged. An attempt was made to release the lock while the aircraft was still accelerating, but the mechanism could not be removed before the plane exceeded the end of the 3,400-foot runway.
Following the overrun, the aircraft struck a county sewage treatment building. The impact was severe enough to separate the wings from the main fuselage. The fuselage continued its trajectory through the structure and eventually stopped on a rocky area near the beach. The incident resulted in four serious injuries among the occupants.
Findings
- The primary factor in the excursion was the failure to disengage the control lock prior to the takeoff roll reaching high speeds.