N8225T

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn May 23, 2013, about 1456 eastern daylight time a Beech A36, N8225T, operated by Bonanza 5 Incorporated, was substantially damaged when it entered an aerodynamic stall and impacted terrain shortly after takeoff at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK), Atlanta, Georgia. The private pilot and four passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan had been filed for the personal flight destined for Venice Municipal Airport (VNC), Venice, Florida, which was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to fly to VNC for fuel and then continue on to their final destination, Key West International Airport (EYW), Key West, Florida. In anticipation of having a "full load" of passengers and baggage, two days before the trip the pilot had fueled the airplane up to the "slots", which equated to 70 gallons of usable fuel onboard. On the day of the flight, he checked the weather and obtained a full weather briefing from flight service before leaving for the airport.

When he and his passengers arrived at the airport, they loaded their possessions into the airplane and the pilot conducted a preflight inspection of the airplane. Everything was "good" and they pulled the plane out of the hangar, put their cars in the hangar, and got in the airplane. He then started the engine and started to taxi. One of the passengers however, had left his iPad in the hangar, so he taxied back to the hangar, shut down, and the passenger retrieved it.

When the passenger returned, the pilot started the airplane again and taxied out to the end of the row of hangars, obtained the field conditions from the airport terminal information service, received his IFR clearance to VNC, then his clearance to taxi, and set the altimeter setting in the Kollsman window. He was cleared to taxi to runway 3L but, asked for runway 3R as he preferred to use runway 3R which was the longest runway at PDK. He then taxied to the run up area for runway 3L and completed the run up. Again, everything was normal.

He was then cleared to cross 3L and hold short of 3R while waiting for release from air traffic control. There was a King Air behind him and he was asked to move over to let him by, which he did. Around this time, someone asked for a wind check and the tower replied that the wind was from 300 degrees (a direct cross wind). He then asked if Runway 34 was available and was told it was closed because of an air show. Then while they were waiting, or when they were cleared to depart, he looked at the wind sock and it seemed to be indicating a slight quartering tailwind.

He performed a static takeoff, and double checked that all instruments were normal and in the green before releasing the brakes. At 50 knots indicated airspeed he cross-checked the instruments and everything was normal. He would normally try and rotate around 80-84 Knots and leave the landing gear down as long as there was runway remaining. He could not recall exactly what speed he rotated at, but it was "probably around 80 knots". Because of the cross wind, he applied left aileron during the takeoff. As he rotated, something didn't feel right. The stall warning horn started "chirping", the plane then turned into the wind, and did not takeoff with "its usual vigor". He leveled off to stop the stall horn and it still didn't feel right. The engine also didn't sound right. He believed that something was wrong and that he should abort the takeoff. He was not sure of his exact altitude at this point, but guessed that he was probably 30 feet above ground level. The engine, or prop, still didn't sound right. He still had runway remaining ahead of him and the landing gear was still down, so he radioed that he was "putting it back down". He decided to land on the runway and not risk an over run, so he reduced power and tried to glide it in. Shortly thereafter, the stall warning horn "blared", the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall and impacted the runway. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONAccording to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and pilot records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent application for a FAA third-class medical certificate was dated October 28, 2012. The pilot reported that he had accrued 613 total hours of flight experience, of which 306 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONAccording to FAA and airplane maintenance records, the airplane was manufactured in 2006. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on March 14, 2013. At the time of the accident the airplane had accrued 3,763 total hours of operation. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONThe following meteorological information was derived from multiple sources:

Recorded Weather

The recorded weather at PDK, at 1456, included: winds from 290 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 18 knots, 10 miles visibility, few clouds at 5,000 feet, scattered clouds at 6,500 feet, temperature 28 degrees C, dew point 16 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.98 inches of mercury.

Density Altitude

Calculations using the recorded temperature, station pressure, and dew point, for PDK indicated, that the density altitude for the airport was, approximately 2,899 feet above sea level around the time of the accident.

Synoptic Conditions

The National Weather Service (NWS) Surface Analysis chart for 1400 edt, depicted a cold front extending across eastern Kentucky, Tennessee, into northern Alabama, Mississippi, into Louisiana moving southeastward. The chart depicted a relative weak pressure gradient across the area with wind from the west-northwest at about 10 knots across northern Georgia.

The NWS NEXRAD Mosaic of WSR-88D radars across the southeast indicated no significant meteorological echoes in the Atlanta vicinity at 1450 edt.

Pilot Reports

There were 2 pilot reports of low-level wind shear reported at 1420 and 1840 EDT from aircraft landing at KPDK, and reported wind shear of plus or minus 10 to 15 knots within the lowest 200 feet agl of runway 3R.

Sounding

The Atlanta-Peachtree City 0800 sounding depicted a frontal inversion immediately above the surface to about 1360 feet. The sounding had a relative humidity greater than 80 percent from the surface to 8,000 feet. The wind profile indicated a surface wind from the west or 285 degrees at 4 knots with wind veering to the northwest immediately above the inversion to 5,000 feet and then backing to the west with height. A low level wind maximum was identified at 2,000 feet with the wind from 320 degrees at 23 knots. As a result a low-level turbulence potential existed within the lowest 1,000 feet of the surface. The mean 0 to 6 kilometer or 18,000 feet wind from 278 degrees at 22 knots.

Satellite

The Geostationary Orbiting Environmental Satellite (GOES-14) visible image at 1445 depicted scattered fair weather cumulus clouds surrounding the area. No cumulonimbus or cumulus congestus type clouds were identified in the vicinity that could have produced any microburst type activity, and no outflow boundaries were identified for any significant shifts in wind direction

Radar

The NWS Atlanta WSR-88D radar depicted no meteorological echoes in the vicinity during the period, only ground cluster associated with the surface based temperature inversion and false echoes. AIRPORT INFORMATIONAccording to FAA and airplane maintenance records, the airplane was manufactured in 2006. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on March 14, 2013. At the time of the accident the airplane had accrued 3,763 total hours of operation. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONExamination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no evidence of any preimpact failure or malfunction of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Further examination revealed that, the airplane had incurred substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONPilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge

According to the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25A), the effect of gross weight on takeoff distance is significant and proper consideration of this item must be made in predicting the aircraft's takeoff distance. Increased gross weight can be considered to produce a threefold effect on takeoff performance:

1. Higher lift-off speed.

2. Greater mass to accelerate.

3. Increased retarding force (drag and ground friction).

If the gross weight increases, a greater speed is necessary to produce the greater lift necessary to get the aircraft airborne at the takeoff lift coefficient. As an example of the effect of a change in gross weight, a 21 percent increase in takeoff weight will require a 10 percent increase in lift-off speed to support the greater weight. A change in gross weight will change the net accelerating force and change the mass that is being accelerated. If the aircraft has a relatively high thrust-to-weight ratio, the change in the net accelerating force is slight and the principal effect on acceleration is due to the change in mass.

For example, a 10 percent increase in takeoff gross weight would cause:

- A 5 Percent increase in takeoff velocity.

- At least a 9 percent decrease in rate of acceleration.

- At least a 21 percent increase in takeoff distance.

The effect of wind on takeoff distance is also large, and proper consideration also must be provided when predicting takeoff distance. The effect of a tailwind requires the aircraft to achieve a greater groundspeed to attain the lift-off speed. A tailwind that is 10 percent of the takeoff airspeed will increase the takeoff distance approximately 21 percent.

Density altitude also has specific effects on takeoff performance. An increase in density altitude can produce a twofold effect on takeoff performance:

1. Greater...