Beech A36 N8176M accident near Houston, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during takeoff. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the pilot’s retraction of the landing gear before establishing a positive climb rate, which resulted in a gear-up landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot said that, shortly after takeoff, the airplane seemed to have a "performance/power loss" and that it was not climbing. He lowered the airplane's nose in an attempt to gain airspeed and retracted the landing gear. The airplane immediately descended back onto the runway, slid on its belly, and then struck several approach lights. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector witnessed the accident and said that, after the airplane departed, it entered a nose-high, exaggerated cross-control condition with the airplane's tail only about 10 ft above the runway. The inspector momentarily lost sight of the airplane, but, when he saw it again, it had landed on its belly and was sliding off the runway. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, the landing gear should only be retracted on takeoff once a positive climb rate has been established. No preimpact mechanical deficiencies were identified that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN14LA458 for the full record.