Beech A36 accident near Myerstown, Pennsylvania, December 22, 2015
On December 22, 2015 at about 10:35 pm local time, a 1975 Beech A36, registered N4314S, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Myerstown, Pennsylvania (Deck Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during climbout due to his distraction with raising the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 2015 · about 10:35 pm local time
- Place
- Myerstown, Pennsylvania · Deck Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech A36 UNDESIGNAT, built 1975 · all A36s on the register
- Registration
- N4314S · no longer on the register · serial E-681
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the commercial pilot, he conducted a pre-takeoff engine run-up with no anomalies noted. He taxied to the runway and started the takeoff roll; as the airplane reached takeoff speed, the airplane became airborne, and he reached over to raise the landing gear. He said that it "seemed" like he had a loss of engine power, and when he checked the instrument panel, he noticed that the attitude indicator was on a 10 to 15° left bank. He leveled the wings and tried to continue the climb, but the airplane impacted the ground and "bounced" before coming to a stop. Postaccident examination of the engine and its components revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that when the pilot reached over to raise the landing gear, his lapse in attention resulted in a loss of control of the airplane.
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 in flight during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 914 hours in all; 133 in this make and model; 144 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 20, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,559.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 18, 2015; 180 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-520-BB (piston); 4,439 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9D4 Myerstown PA at 10:30 pm
- Destination: PKB Parkersburg WV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 1/19, 3,786 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 030° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 10:58 pm from MUI, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on October 7, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Reports from Parties to the Investigation | PDF, 37 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.