ERA16LA077

Factual narrative

On December 22, 2015, about 1735 eastern standard time, a Beech A36, N4314S, was substantially damaged following a collision with terrain during climbout near Myerstown, Pennsylvania. The commercial pilot and three passengers sustained serious injuries. The airplane was privately owned and operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions were reported at the airport about the time of the accident, and an instrument flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.According to the pilot, after conducting his preflight inspection he prepared for departure. He noted that a "haze" started to fill around the airport but was not concerned with weather related issues. He conducted a pre-takeoff run up and everything checked out "ok." He taxied to the runway and started the takeoff roll; as the airplane reached take off speed he rotated, got airborne and reached over to raise the landing gear. He said that it "seemed" like he had a loss of engine power and when he checked the instrument panel, he noticed that the attitude indicator was on a 10 to 15 degree left bank. He immediately leveled the wings and kept the yoke "back" to continue the climb. However the airplane impacted the ground and "bounced" before coming to a stop. Initial examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the engine's bottom side sustained impact-related damage that displaced the induction system, fractured the oil sump, and damaged the engine nacelle, all of which precluded a test run. Besides the impact-related damage, no pre-accident anomalies were noted that would have prevented the engine from being able to produce full, rated power. The engine's fuel system components were removed from the aircraft for further examination and testing. The components were tested on production test stands using production specifications. Though the components did not meet production specifications throughout their entire test ranges, they were capable of performing their normal functions adequately and with any differences between the specifications. The observed values can be attributed to normal adjustments that are conducted in the field by maintenance personnel. No pre-accident anomalies were noted with any of the components that would have precluded their ability to perform normally. According to the commercial pilot, he conducted a pre-takeoff engine run-up with no anomalies noted. He taxied to the runway and started the takeoff roll; as the airplane reached takeoff speed, the airplane became airborne, and he reached over to raise the landing gear. He said that it "seemed" like he had a loss of engine power, and when he checked the instrument panel, he noticed that the attitude indicator was on a 10 to 15° left bank. He leveled the wings and tried to continue the climb, but the airplane impacted the ground and "bounced" before coming to a stop. Postaccident examination of the engine and its components revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that when the pilot reached over to raise the landing gear, his lapse in attention resulted in a loss of control of the airplane. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Task monitoring/vigilance-Pilot - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C