Pilot Debrief

BEECH A36 near Athens, TX — 2009-03-04

Final reportCEN09CA186
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Date
2009-03-04
Location
Athens, TX, USA
Airport
F44
Aircraft
BEECH A36
Registration
N5470V
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The non-certificated pilot's failure to maintain control during his unauthorized use of the airplane.

NTSB narrative

After jumpstarting the airplane, the non-certificated pilot elected to take off without the airplane owner's knowledge or permission. A short time later the airplane was found in a wooded area approximately 2 miles northeast of the airport. The airplane's right wing had been separated from the fuselage during the impact. The pilot was later apprehended by law enforcement officers while attempting to retrieve his automobile from the airport. Inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) later interviewed the pilot at the county jail. When asked what had caused the accident, the pilot responded that he didn't know and that another person had crashed the airplane. A witness at the airport saw the pilot take off shortly before the accident and then called the owner of the aircraft, who contacted police. Although the pilot reported to FAA inspectors that he had accumulated 200-300 total flight hours, it could not be verified.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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