Occurrence Summary
On February 2, 2020, at approximately 11:00 AM, a Cessna 560 aircraft, United States registration N798JS, aborted a takeoff at Governor’s Harbour Airport (MYEM), Eleuthera, Bahamas. The aircraft was on an on-demand charter flight en route to Tampa International Airport (KTPA) with two crew members and two passengers on board.
According to the pilot-in-command, after discussing the flight plan with the first officer and completing necessary checklists, the aircraft was positioned on runway 33 for a departure to the northwest. After applying takeoff power and before reaching V1 speed, the pilot noticed that the aircraft was not performing adequately, as speed was not increasing sufficiently. The aircraft also did not respond when back pressure was applied to the yoke.
The first officer called to abort the takeoff, and the captain pulled the power levers to idle, extended reverse thrusters, and applied the brakes. After the aircraft came to a stop, the pilot made a 180-degree turn on the runway to return to the ramp area, during which the first officer reported seeing smoke coming from the right side of the aircraft.
Evacuation and Fire Response
The captain called for passenger evacuation by the first officer while shutting down the engine. Eleuthera Airport Fire Rescue services responded and upon arrival found the right main landing gear tire on fire. The fire was suppressed, and there were no reported injuries.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The aircraft was a Cessna 560, serial number 500-0796, manufactured in 2008. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney engines. The commander held an Airline Transport Pilot license. The operation was classified as on-demand charter.
Damage
The aircraft sustained fire-related damage to the right main gear assembly, right main gear door, and underside of the right wing. Both main gear tires had fire and heat damage, with the right main tire affected more severely.
Investigation
The occurrence was classified as a serious incident (fire/smoke). A limited-scope investigation was conducted. The weather at the time was visual meteorological conditions and was not considered a factor. No safety messages or recommendations were issued. The investigation is complete.