Beechcraft H-18 N74JT

Summary

On 19 June 1982 at about 01:56 local time, a Beechcraft H-18 registered N74JT, operated by West States Air Taxi, was involved in an accident near Fresno, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

19 June 1982 at 01:56

Classification

Accident

Location

Fresno, California, United States

Nearest airport

Fresno Air Terminal (FAT)

Coordinates

36.6403, -119.9096

Aircraft

Beechcraft H-18

Registration

N74JT

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

West States Air Taxi

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fresno → Los Angeles

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX82FA224

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

JUST AFTER LIFT-OFF FROM RWY 29R, THE ACFT BEGAN TO PITCH UP. AS THE PITCH-UP PROGRESSED, THE PLT APPLIED RIGHT AILERON & FULL RIGHT RUDDER. THE ACFT RESPONDED BY ROLLING TO THE RIGHT WITH THE NOSE FALLING THRU. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT WAS ABLE TO PULL OUT BEFORE THE ACFT HIT THE GROUND. IT COLLIDED WITH A 6 FT WIRE FENCE WHICH TORE OFF THE ENGINES & CAUSED THE ACFT TO ROTATE CLOCKWISE ON THE GROUND. CARGO IN THE ACFT WAS THROWN THRU THE SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE. THE PLT EXITED THE ACFT WITHOUT INJURY. THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY BURST INTO FLAMES & THE FUSELAGE WAS BADLY BURNED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT 2989 LBS OF FREIGHT PLUS A 359 LB MOTORCYCLE WERE BEING CARRIED BETWEEN BULKHEADS 5 & 11. THE BULKHEAD LOADS WERE LIMITED TO 450 LBS (5-8) & 300 LBS (8-10). THE MAX GROSS WEIGHT AT TAKEOFF WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 10,310 LBS. THE PLT REPORTED THAT NONE OF THE FREIGHT WAS TIED DOWN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.