What happened
On a scheduled evening flight from William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas, to Brownwood, Texas, an Eagle Airlines aircraft experienced a critical mechanical failure during the takeoff phase. The flight was operating behind its original schedule due to previous delays earlier in the day. At approximately 1945:55, the crew was cleared to taxi into position and hold on runway 22.
During the takeoff roll, at roughly 1948:35, the crew notified air traffic control that the aircraft had lost its right engine. At the time of this transmission, the aircraft was approximately 100 feet above the runway and about 4,300 feet from the start of the takeoff roll. Following the loss of power, the aircraft continued on the runway heading for about ten seconds before initiating a right turn accompanied by a shallow descent. Witnesses on the ground observed the aircraft's bank angle and rate of descent increasing as it turned 90 degrees away from the runway heading.
Passengers on board reported hearing engine sputtering and popping noises, as well as observing crew members attempting to manipulate flight controls. Despite efforts to level the wings before impact, the aircraft struck a concrete airport parking ramp approximately 1,000 feet from the runway. The impact caused the plane to slide 200 feet, striking two other aircraft, four vehicles, and a hangar, which subsequently triggered a fire. There were zero survivors among the eight passengers and two crewmembers on board.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the primary cause was a loss of power in the right engine for undetermined reasons during the takeoff roll. The investigation also noted the aircraft's marginal performance capabilities when operating on a single engine and an improper emergency response by the pilot, who failed to properly configure the aircraft or execute an appropriate landing procedure following the engine failure.