Beech 36 accident near Lubbock, Texas, September 25, 2019
On September 25, 2019 at about 12:15 pm local time, a 1994 Beech 36, registered N5836B, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Lubbock, Texas (Lubbock Preston Smith Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper pitch trim setting during takeoff in a left quartering tailwind, which resulted in the airplane abruptly pitching up and subsequently experiencing an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to follow a preflight checklist and verify that the elevator trim tab was in the takeoff position.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 2019 · about 12:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lubbock, Texas · Lubbock Preston Smith Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Beech 36 B36TC, built 1994 · all 36s on the register
- Registration
- N5836B · no longer on the register · serial EA558
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll and while the airplane was about 60 knots, it lifted off in a nose-high attitude, and the stall warning horn actuated. He added that, about 20 ft above ground level, the airplane rotated to the right, but he overcorrected, and the left wingtip struck the runway. Shortly after, he landed the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the elevator trim was set to nose high and that he should have used a pretakeoff checklist to verify that the elevator trim was set to the takeoff position.
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 takeoff defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 178 hours in all; 33 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 178 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 25, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot (unmanned)
- Certificate: flight instructor, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 340 hours in all; 85 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 340 as pilot in command; 162 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 20, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,083 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 11, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 3,850 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 2,170 hours total
- Operator: We Gone Llc
The flight
- Departed from: LBB Lubbock TX at 12:15 pm
- Destination: LBB Lubbock TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35L, 11,500 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from KLBB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 16, 2020. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | 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.