The NTSB has released its preliminary findings in an aborted takeoff in Fairmont, WV that injured four people, two of the seriously. Investigators found that the Beech Q36 (N57S) was 192 pounds over maximum gross weight at the time of the attempted departure on Sept. 19 at Fairmont Municipal Airport (4G7).

The pilot/owner and one passenger were seriously injured, and two passengers sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that was originating at the time of the accident. The planned destination was Auburn/Opelieka Robert G. Pitts Airport (AUO), Auburn, AL.

In a telephone interview, the pilot stated that he planned to fly to Alabama to attend a college football game. Prior to departure, he completed a preflight inspection of the airplane, filled the tanks with fuel, loaded luggage, and then briefed and boarded his three passengers. He completed the engine start and run-up by the checklist, with no anomalies noted, and taxied the airplane for takeoff. The pilot stated that prior to loading the airplane, he calculated that the airplane did not exceed its maximum allowable gross weight.

The pilot positioned the airplane on Runway 23 for takeoff with the flaps retracted, and applied full power prior to releasing the brakes. According to the pilot, "The airplane appeared to accelerate fine until I got to about four feet above the runway, but it didn't want to fly. The only way to get it to fly was to push the nose down, and I didn't want to do that, so I pulled the power off and landed. I was about three-quarters of the way down the runway when I aborted the takeoff."

The pilot stated that about the same time he realized the airplane would not climb, he noticed the up-sloping embankment at the departure end of the 2,859 foot runway. "I just didn't recognize the hill at the departure end. It was my fault, and an airport design fault."

The pilot recorded about 3,910 total hours of flight experience, of which 393 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. The maximum allowable gross weight for the airplane was 3,650 pounds.

Weight and balance calculations were completed using the airplane's maintenance records, and the weights volunteered by the pilot, his passengers, 40 pounds of baggage, and 70 gallons of fuel. The estimated weight of the airplane at takeoff was 3,842 pounds.