Beechcraft B35 N5208C

Summary

On 5 August 2008 at about 14:00 local time, a Beechcraft B35 registered N5208C was involved in an accident near Lockport, New York, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 August 2008 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lockport, New York, United States

Nearest airport

North Buffalo Suburban Airport (0G0)

Coordinates

43.1031, -78.7033

Aircraft

Beechcraft B35

Registration

N5208C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lockport → Lometa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC08LA271

1 person was seriously injured.

A partial loss of engine power, as reported by the pilot, for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and the overweight condition of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to departing for a 1,175-nautical-mile cross-country flight, the pilot filled all of the airplane's fuel tanks, for a total of 90 gallons of fuel. The pilot did not note any abnormalities during the engine run-up and magneto check, and proceeded to depart from the 2,830-foot-long runway. About the mid-point of the runway, during the takeoff, the pilot stated that "something didn't feel right," and that the engine did not seem as if it were "making full power." He lifted the airplane off the runway at 65 knots indicated airspeed and the airplane acted like it "was going to go." The airplane then settled back onto the runway. The pilot then lifted the airplane off the runway a second time, and retracted the landing gear. Shortly thereafter, he noticed that the engine was losing power. The airplane was heading toward trees that were located at the end of the runway, and the pilot elected to veer off the left side of the runway toward a road. The airplane impacted several objects before coming to rest about 150 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. Examination of the engine did not reveal evidence of any mechanical abnormalities. The pilot stated that he had not performed weight and balance, or takeoff distance calculations, prior to the accident flight. The estimated weight of the airplane for the takeoff was 341 pounds greater than the airplane's maximum gross weight of 2,750 pounds, and the calculated center of gravity was 1/2-inch aft of the maximum limit.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.