What happened
During the takeoff roll on runway 7R, an aircraft operated by Aeronaves experienced a critical sequence of events. Tower personnel observed the aircraft's progress for approximately 3,800 feet before it became obscured by falling snow. During this period, the aircraft had not yet rotated or departed the ground. Radar monitoring showed the aircraft traveling to the eastern end of the runway, followed shortly by an orange flash visible northeast of the airport.
The pilot reported that the takeoff proceeded normally through the 100-knot check and reached V1 speed. However, upon reaching rotation speed (VR), the aircraft was rotated too aggressively, causing airspeed to drop rapidly from 130 knots to approximately 110 knots. Believing the remaining runway was insufficient to complete a successful takeoff, the pilot attempted to stop the aircraft by advancing the throttles briefly and then pulling them back to idle while simultaneously applying brakes and spoilers.
The aircraft traveled the full length of the 10,000-foot runway, breached a blast fence, and exited the airport perimeter. The aircraft then crossed Rockaway Boulevard, where it struck an automobile, causing injuries to the driver. The wreckage eventually came to rest in flames 830 feet past the runway end. Of the four occupants in the cockpit, there were 3 fatalities.
Findings
Investigation determined that the aircraft did indeed become airborne during the incident. The primary cause of the accident was the unnecessary discontinuation of the takeoff by a check pilot who was not seated in a standard pilot position. This individual reached forward without warning and pulled the throttles back, which simultaneously reduced power across all four engines.
Other contributing factors included:
- Suboptimal weather conditions involving snow
- Presence of snow on the runway surface
- Potential failure of the pitot heat system