Accident
On the day of the accident, the commercial pilot was conducting a test flight following extensive maintenance on a single-pilot twin-engine turbojet. The airplane departed from runway 22, which measured 7,602 feet in length and 150 feet in width. During the takeoff roll, the pilot lost directional control. Multiple witnesses observed the airplane climb to approximately 150 feet, then roll to the right, descend, and impact the ground inverted. The wreckage came to rest about 3,750 feet from the departure point.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The pilot held a commercial certificate and had accumulated about 4,100 total flight hours. However, he had not flown this specific airplane for over nine months due to the maintenance period. The pilot also owned a Cessna 650, but according to witnesses, he was only qualified as a co-pilot in that aircraft. No pilot flight records were located, so the amount of flight time in the preceding nine months could not be determined.
The airplane was a twin-engine turbojet. Maintenance records that were found were largely incomplete, and no approval for return-to-service was located. The airplane was not equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder.
Meteorological and Operational Conditions
Weather at the time was day visual flight rules (VFR). The reported wind was from 170 degrees at 10 knots. Another aircraft had declared an emergency and was on a 10-mile final approach when the tower cleared the accident airplane for takeoff; no delay was imposed on the accident airplane's takeoff roll. No additional communications or distress calls from the accident flight were recorded.
Wreckage and System Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed that none of the main-entry door latching pins were in their fully locked position. The flight controls and both engines showed no mechanical discrepancies that would have prevented normal operation. The flaps were found in the takeoff position, and the control lock was unlocked. No anomalies were detected in either engine.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be the pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush. Contributing factors were the unsecured passenger door and the pilot's diverted attention.