Hoping To Find A Cause, Investigator Plan To Start It Up

Investigators trying to discover why a 1958 Bonanza B-35 (file photo of type, below right) crashed on the campus of Somerset Community College in Kentucky have salvaged the aircraft's engine. They now plan to start it up.

"We are making plans to take the engine to a factory in Mobile, Alabama for a test run under the supervision of the FAA or an NTSB investigator," said NTSB investigator Robert Gretz. "There were initial witness reports of partial power losses on the takeoff. They said the engine was missing and cutting in and out."

Terry Sumpter, 47, of Monticello (KY), Brian Roberts, 24, of Somerset (KY), and James McGettigan, 60, of Marlton (NJ) all died in Thursday's crash, shortly after take-off from Somerset-Pulaski County Airport. Witnesses say the aircraft made a left turn back toward the airport, but lost too much altitude to make the strip. The plane sheared some trees and impacted the ground about 1000 feet short of the runway.

Toxicology tests are still pending.

FAA Preliminary Report

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 748CH        Make/Model: BE35      Description: 35 Bonanza
  Date: 11/20/2003     Time: 1340

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: SOMERSET                    State: KY   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF, HAD AN ENGINE FAILURE, TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE
  FATALLY INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE
  UNKNOWN, SOMERSET, KY

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:    1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:           Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: METAR KSME 201256Z 00000KT CLR 03/03 A3012                                 
                                                                                    
                                                        

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Take-off      Operation: General Aviation

  Departed: SOMERSET, KY                Dep Date: 11/20/2003   Dep. Time: 1340
  Destination: LEXINGTON, KY            Flt Plan: IFR          Wx Briefing: U
  Last Radio Cont: NONE
  Last Clearance: NONE

  FAA FSDO: LOUISVILLE, KY  (SO01)                Entry date: 11/21/2003

FMI: www.ntsb.gov