Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
El Jardin Ranch Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Encinal, Texas 78019
Saturday, March 26, 2011 13:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During the takeoff roll, at an airspeed of about 60 knots, the pilot rotated the nose of the airplane to the standard angle for takeoff. The co-pilot stated that during the takeoff roll, he thought that the pilot had called for the landing gear to be retracted, so he reached down and moved the landing gear handle. Shortly thereafter the landing gear began to collapse and both propellers and the fuselage impacted the runway surface. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident and the co-pilot said that he prematurely raised the gear handle.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The co-pilot’s premature retraction of the landing gear during takeoff, which resulted in a gear collapse and impact with the runway surface.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/26/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1300 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Encinal |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78019 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 280418N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0991707W |
| Event Location Airport | El Jardin Ranch Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | XA66 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 482 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 3 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KCOT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 474 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 23 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.7 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KCOT 261753Z AUTO 33004KT 10SM CLR 29/19 A2970 RMK |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 9 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30847 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Media |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2012 1:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | latt |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N747AF |
| NTSB Number | CEN11LA254 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | NORTH AMERICAN |
| Aircraft Model | B25 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | J |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 44-30456 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 34000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 8 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 10 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 7 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 7460 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LEWIS FIGHTER FLEET LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 10101 REUNION PLAZA - SUITE 100 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN ANTONIO |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78216-4157 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | LEWIS FIGHTER FLEET LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 10101 REUNION PLAZA - SUITE 100 |
| Operator City | SAN ANTONIO |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 78216-4157 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | XA66 |
| Departure City | Encinal |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1300 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | XA66 |
| Destination City | Encinal |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2012 9:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kaij |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 12 |
| Runway Length | 6270 |
| Runway Width | 80 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |