Primary finding
Probable cause
An inadvertent stall. Factors were a premature lift off and high density altitude.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
A witness said the airplane was 'loaded pretty full,' and used 'plenty of runway' for the takeoff roll. As soon as the airplane lifted off, however, the tail 'dropped significantly' and the airplane 'began to oscillate left and right' before striking the ground. Density altitude was a computed 10,254 feet msl.
Source record
Factual narrative
On August 6, 1994, approximately 1520 mountain daylight time, a Beech B36TC, N6368C, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during takeoff at Gunnison, Colorado. The private pilot and the commercial pilot-rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. One witness said the airplane was "loaded pretty full," and used "plenty of runway" for the takeoff roll. As soon as it lifted off, however, the tail "dropped significantly" and the airplane "began to oscillate left and right" before striking the ground. Another witness observed the airplane after lift off and corroborated the first witness' observations. The following is based on the pilot/operator report. The pilot sensed something was wrong as the airplane lifted off the ground. She thought the engine may have lost power as the airplane began to lose ground effect. The airplane yawed left, then right, then left again, and the right wing contacted the runway. Density altitude was a computed 10,254 feet above mean sea level. -