NTSB Identification: NYC08FA051
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, December 04, 2007 in New Castle, DE
Aircraft: Beech 60, registration: N105PP
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

 

On December 4, 2007, at 0722 eastern standard time, a Beech 60, N105PP, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while taking off from New Castle Airport (ILG), New Castle, Delaware. The certificated commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight to Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), Allentown, Pennsylvania. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The airport was owned by the Delaware River and Bay Authority. According to a witness, an Authority employee who was also a certificated flight instructor, he was in an airport vehicle near the approach end of runway 27 when he observed the accident airplane at the engine run-up area. The run-up appeared normal; however, the witness noted that the airplane's flaps were extended. After the run-up, the airplane taxied toward the runway with both flaps still extended. The witness did not see the airplane depart, as he had turned his vehicle away from the runway.

The tower controller reported that he cleared the airplane to depart from runway 27, and based on previous communications, expected the pilot to turn right, to the north after departure. After takeoff, the airplane's initial climbout was "normal" until it was 50 to 70 feet in the air. The airplane then entered a "slight" left bank, and the controller asked the pilot if he still intended turning to the north. The pilot responded, "five papa papa," and the transmission "cut off." The airplane then made a "steep climb" to 250 to 300 feet, and as it climbed, the angle of bank appeared to increase. As the airplane reached the top of its climb, the nose "came down and went straight into the ground." Upon impact, a postcrash fire ensued.

The initial impact point was in a grassy area, left of runway 27, near taxiway F, at 39 degrees, 40.5 minutes north latitude, 75 degrees, 36.74 minutes west longitude. The initial impact point was delineated by ground scars that correlated to the leading edges of both wings, and craters that corresponded to the positions of both engines and the nose compartment. The wing scars were aligned 165/345 degrees magnetic, with green lens material near the most northerly point.

The airplane's propeller hubs were broken off from the engines, and buried in the craters. When recovered, both sets of propellers exhibited "S" bending, leading edge damage, and chordwise scratching.

The main wreckage was displaced about 20 feet, 240 degrees magnetic from the initial impact point. Although the wreckage, including the instrument panel, was mostly consumed by fire, all flight control surfaces were accounted for, and flight control continuity was confirmed from all flight control surface connections to the main cabin.

The control gust locks were not located; however, the gust lock holes in the yoke columns were not elongated.

The pilot seat locking mechanism revealed no evidence of malfunction.

The landing gear actuator correlated to the gear being up. Flap actuator measurements revealed that the right flap was fully extended, while the left flap was fully retracted. The flap actuating system was retained for further examination.

Both engines were examined, and neither engine exhibited any evidence of preimpact anomalies.

Weather, reported at the airport at 0751, included clear skies, winds from 270 degrees true, at 21, gusting to 26 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, temperature 0 degrees Celsius, dew point minus -3 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 29.73 inches of mercury.