Airplane Experienced A Loss Of Engine Power During Touch-And-Go Landings

The NTSB has released a preliminary report from an accident which occurred January 13, 2018 at about 1715 mountain standard time. A Beech K35 Bonanza, N803R, experienced a loss of engine power after departure from Vance Brand Airport, (KLMO), Longmont, Colorado. The pilot sustained serious injuries, the passenger sustained minor injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight was departing KLMO at the time of the accident.

A witness reported that he was near taxiway A3 when heard "a popping noise" coming from the accident airplane during takeoff. A few seconds later he heard the engine "shut off" as the airplane was in a nose up attitude. The airplane rolled to the right and then descended in a "steep dive" toward the ground. When he arrived at the accident site (figure 1) he observed smoke and smelled fuel near the airplane. He stated that the ground near the airplane was wet and fuel was leaking from the wing where it had separated from the fuselage.

The airplane owner, who is the father-in-law of the pilot, stated that he spoke with both the pilot and passenger; the passenger did not remember anything except the preflight inspection before the flight began. The pilot told the owner that they returned to KLMO to perform touch-and-go landings. During the climb out, after the second consecutive touch-and-go, the engine lost power, so the pilot pushed the nose down and made a forced landing in a field off the end of the runway. The pilot added that the landing gear had already been retracted and there was no remaining runway available to land.

(Image provided with NTSB preliminary report)

FMI: Report