Beech B36TC, N36LS: Accident occurred October 06, 2019 at Ranger Municipal Airport (F23), Eastland County, Texas

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Lubbock, Texas 

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board:  https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

https://registry.faa.gov/N36LS

Location: Ranger, TX
Accident Number: CEN20LA004
Date & Time: 10/06/2019, 0835 CDT
Registration: N36LS
Aircraft: BEECH B36
Injuries: 4 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal

On October 6, 2019, about 0835 central daylight time, a Beechcraft B36TC Bonanza, N36LS, impacted trees after an aborted takeoff from Ranger Municipal Airport (F23), Ranger, Texas. The pilot and three passengers were not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to Aircraft Certification Flight Test Support LLC and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan had been filed. The cross-country flight was departing at the time of the accident and was destined for Hicks Airfield (T67), Fort Worth, Texas.

In a post-accident statement, the pilot reported that during the soft-field takeoff roll he advanced the throttle, confirmed normal power indications on the gauges, and the power continued to increase in a normal manner. As the airplane continued to accelerate, he noted about 50 knots indicated airspeed and increasing, until it reached 70 knots when he continued to apply back pressure on the yoke and rotated for the soft-field takeoff. The airplane lifted off with a slightly higher than a normal pitch attitude, and the pilot flew the airplane over the runway while in ground effect. After flying in ground effect for a short period, he noticed the airplane stopped accelerating and felt "mushy" but he noted that the engine was still producing some amount of power. He "did not hear or feel any pops, bangs, vibrations, smells, or otherwise that would have triggered [him] to believe that it was an immediate total engine power failure." Next the airspeed indicator showed about 70 knots and was slowly decreasing. The pilot identified a field to the left of the runway and banked left about 15 to 20° to make a forced landing in the field. The pilot stated that he heard the stall warning horn activate, then heard the underside of the airplane contact some small trees. The airplane landed hard in the field and came to rest upright. The landing gear remained extended during the entire sequence. Figure 1 shows the damaged airplane where it came to rest in the field.

Figure 1 – A view of the front left side of accident airplane upright in a field.

During the forced landing the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The airplane was recovered to a secure storage facility and retained for further examination.

A review of the airplane maintenance logbooks revealed that a 100-hour engine inspection and airframe annual inspection were completed on December 7, 2018. The most recent maintenance logbook entry on July 26, 2019, noted that the turbocharger wastegate had been sticking and was replaced with an overhauled unit. The airplane was returned to service with a flight test completed and no anomalies noted.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: BEECH
Registration: N36LS
Model/Series: B36TC
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation:
Observation Time:
Distance from Accident Site: 51 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 24°C / 17°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 10 knots / , 190°
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility:  
Altimeter Setting: 30.01 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Ranger, TX (F23)
Destination: 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 3 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 4 None
Latitude, Longitude: 32.447500, -98.682778 (est)