Beech A36TC N347M accident near Lititz, Pennsylvania

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed after takeoff due to his distraction by the opening of the cabin door, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall/mush condition at too low of an altitude to recover. Contributing to the accident was the airplane’s overweight condition, which increased its stall speed and adversely affected its control characteristics.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during takeoff, he heard a loud “pop” and was unsure what it was. He pulled the throttle back, then realized that the cabin door had opened. He thought that he subsequently pushed the throttle forward but was not sure. He noticed that the airplane’s airspeed was not increasing and immediately looked for a place to land. A passenger stated that the front door opened as soon as the airplane left the ground. She stated that the pilot contacted the air traffic control tower and requested a return to the airport, and the front-seat passenger held the door closed. The airplane turned left and started “shaking” before it impacted the ground. A security camera captured the airplane departing the runway and turning left. As the airplane lost altitude in the turn, the wings were rocking back and forth, and the tail was low, consistent with a mush condition indicative of an impending aerodynamic stall. The airplane impacted the ground and a postimpact fire consumed most of the wreckage, including the cabin door.

Based on the circumstance of the accident, the pilot likely became distracted by the opening of the cabin door. Review of weight and balance information revealed that the airplane was loaded about 500 lbs above maximum gross takeoff weight, which would have increased its stall speed, reduced its climb performance, and adversely affected its control characteristics. It is likely that as a combined result of these factors, the pilot allowed the airplane’s airspeed to decay to a point where the airplane encountered an aerodynamic stall.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA25LA137 for the full record.