About 20-30 Ft Above The Ground The Airplane Pulled To The Right

Location: Alexandria, MN Accident Number: CEN21LA101
Date & Time: December 28, 2020, 19:45 Local Registration: N134BA
Aircraft: Beech 65-80-8800 Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 135: Air taxi & commuter - Non-scheduled

On December 28, 2020, about 1945 central standard time (CST), a Beech 65-80-8800, N134BA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in a takeoff accident near Alexandria, Minnesota. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 on-demand cargo flight.

The airplane was owned and operated by Bemidji Aviation Services as an on-demand cargo flight. According to the pilot, he flew from BJI to AXN, and landed with 168 gallons of fuel on board the airplane. The weather at the time of the landing was clear.

After he ate dinner and returned to the airport between 1845 and 1900, the pilot said that he performed a preflight examination of the airplane. He stated that there was no frost on the airplane during his preflight examination. He then waited for the United Parcel Service (UPS) trucks to arrive. He determined that the total load of boxes that UPS had would have made the airplane 100 pounds over its maximum gross weight of 8,800 pounds, so he left off one box weighing 120 pounds in order to remain within the specified airplane limits. The cargo curtains were secured and weight and balance was calculated and determined to be within limits.

The pilot stated that he started the engines about 1930. He stated that he checked the weather and remembered it was clear with 10 miles visibility, temperature -5° Celsius, and light wind out of the northwest. He taxied to runway 31 at AXN and received his instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance from air traffic control (ATC) via the remote station located near AXN. The pilot reported that he advanced the throttles for takeoff and everything appeared normal. He rotated at 82-83 knots and the airplane lifted off about 85 knots. About 20-30 ft above the ground the airplane pulled to the right and started to shake. The pilot did not retract the landing gear due to the veering of the airplane. He noted that both engines appeared to be operating normally. He stated that it did not feel like an aerodynamic stall and he applied rudder and tried to correct back to runway heading when the airplane abruptly pulled to the left and started shaking. The airplane continued to the left and the left wing struck the ground.

The airplane came to rest about 4,000 ft from the start of the runway and about 600 ft left of the runway centerline.
 
The AXN airport manager who was one of the first persons on-scene after the accident reported that, from his residence near the airport, he heard the airplane take off. He heard the airplane’s engine go to full power and then they went to idle and he realized that something was not right. He got into his car, drove to the accident site, and escorted local law enforcement to the scene. After performing duties related to closing the airport due to the accident he proceeded to the airplane about 20 minutes after the accident. He noted that there was some fuel draining from the fuel tank vents and that all of the airplane surfaces were covered with frost.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov