Event CEN21LA208

Factual narrative

On May 1, 2021, at 0925 central daylight time, a Beech 23, N2378Z, was involved in an accident near Hutchinson, Kansas. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot and a passenger received minor injuries, and two passengers were uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to take two children for a ride as part of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) Young Eagles program. The pilot stated that during takeoff on the 4,012-ft-long runway 17, the airplane seemed to accelerate slowly and use a greater amount of runway than normal. He rotated the airplane at 70 mph, and after liftoff, the airplane would not accelerate beyond 75 mph and climbed very slowly. The pilot turned the airplane toward the right, and the airplane began to descend. The airspeed decreased, and the airplane stalled about 20 to 30 ft above the ground. The airplane then impacted the ground resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot calculated that the takeoff weight of the airplane was 2,296 lbs. According to the airplane flight manual, at a takeoff weight of 2,300 lbs, a pressure altitude of 2,000 ft, a head wind of 0 knots, and an outside air temperature of 7o0 F, the ground roll and total takeoff distance to attain a 50 ft height were 1,316 ft and 2,281 ft, respectively. According to the EAA website, the EAA’s Young Eagles program was launched in 1992 and provides young people free introductory flights to introduce and inspire children in the world of aviation. The pilots participating in the Young Eagles program are local chapter members of EAA, who volunteer their time and aircraft. According to the EAA website, each pilot is licensed by the FAA (or a governing organization outside of the United States, such as Transport Canada), and all aircraft are likewise licensed by the government. The flights are conducted according to federal regulations. No aerobatic maneuvers are to be performed. The program is designed to use existing FAA oversight and requirements appropriate to a general aviation privately owned aircraft operation. The pilot stated that during takeoff on the 4,012-ft-long runway, the airplane seemed to accelerate slowly and use a greater amount of runway than normal. After liftoff, the airplane would not accelerate and climbed very slowly. The pilot turned the airplane toward the right, and it began to lose altitude. The airspeed decreased, and the airplane stalled about 20 to 30 ft above the ground. The airplane then impacted the ground. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Takeoff performance data from the airplane’s flight manual showed that the airplane should have been about 50 ft above the ground when it was 2,281 ft down the runway. Given the length of the runway, the pilot had the opportunity to safely abort the takeoff when he realized that the airplane was not accelerating normally and not achieving its expected takeoff performance. However, the pilot continued the takeoff and likely raised the nose of the airplane to a high pitch and high drag attitude in an attempt to gain altitude. The high pitch attitude placed the airplane close to the critical angle of attack, and when the airplane entered a turn, it experienced an aerodynamic stall and descended to ground impact.   Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Climb rate-Not attained/maintained
• — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Lack of action-Pilot
• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot