Beech 65-B80 accident near Woleai Atoll, OF, July 12, 2024
On July 12, 2024 at about 1:10 am local time, a Beech 65-B80, registered N44MA, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Woleai Atoll, OF (Woleai Atoll airport). It was a business flight under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable takeoff area, resulting in a loss of directional control. Contributing to the accident was a flooded runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 2024 · about 1:10 am local time
- Place
- Woleai Atoll, OF, Fm · Woleai Atoll · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-B80 · all 65-B80s on the register
- Registration
- N44MA · registry record · serial LD-412
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during a short field takeoff on a runway that was flooded by heavy rain, the airplane’s right landing gear wheel went into a deep puddle of water and the airplane veered right. The pilot attempted to lift the airplane into ground effect to regain directional control, but the airplane was traveling too slow. The airplane exited the right side of the runway into tall grass and vegetation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing spar and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,783 hours in all; 278 in this make and model; 119 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 1,667 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 27, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
Passenger
- Seat: unk
Passenger
- Seat: unk
Passenger
- Seat: unk
Passenger
- Seat: unk
Passenger
- Seat: unk
Passenger
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,005.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 17, 2024; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,800 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-720-A1B (piston); 5,755 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-720-A1B (piston); 7,553 hours total
- Operator: Pacific Mission Aviation
The flight
- Destination: PTYA Colonia OF
- Runway 05, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 9 |
Other NTSB records under N44MA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC24LA065.