Beech T34B accident near Fremont, MI
On September 25, 1997, a Beech T34B (airplane) was involved in an accident near Fremont, MI. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 25, 1997
- Place
- Fremont, MI
- Aircraft
- Beech T34B · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 43.459°N, 85.951°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X08802
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 25, 1997, at 1225 eastern daylight time (edt), a Beech T-34B, N777SU, piloted by an airline transport pilot, was destroyed during a collision with the ground and post-impact fire following a witness reported rapid pitch up and wingover-type maneuver following takeoff. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The flight departed Fremont, Michigan, at 1225 edt. One witness, the airport manager, said the airplane climbed to about 10 feet above the runway after takeoff and retracted its landing gear. He said N777SU "Pulled up [to a] 75 to 80-degree climb [angle]. At the top of [the] climb [the] aircraft turned left past a 90-degree bank, like a crop duster would do." The witness said the "Nose fell out of the turn [and] the pilot leveled [the] wings." According to this witness, apparently the pilot "...pulled back hard..." as the airplane neared the ground. He said the airplane collided with the ground at a 45-degree angle while the engine ran at full power. A second witness said he observed the airplane takeoff, immediately retract its landing gear, and fly about 15-feet above the runway. He said, "At about the end of the runway the nose started to come up smoothly, then appeared to come up more abruptly until the airplane was nearly vertical. The plane continued straight up until it appeared to stall and fall off on the left wing." This witness said the airplane descended at an approximate 70-degree
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall. Also causal was the pilot's ostentatious display.
More accidents in MI
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-82, Aug 17, 1987
- Embraer EMB-120RT, Jan 9, 1997
- Beech 65-A90, Jul 31, 1999
- Casa C-212-CC, Mar 4, 1987
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-14, Dec 3, 1990
Browse: Michigan · Beech aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
