NTSB Factual Report

On April 4, 2002, at 2032 central daylight time, a Beech C23, N2258L, operated by the Macon Flying Club Incorporated, was destroyed during impact with terrain and post impact fire following a precautionary landing. The flight departed from runway 28 (2,650 feet by 100 feet, grass) at Kahoka Municipal Airport (0H7), Kahoka, Missouri. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The private pilot received minor injuries. The flight departed from 0H7, at 2030, en route to the Macon-Fower Memorial Airport, Macon, Missouri.

The pilot stated that he could not activate the runway lights for his takeoff. After liftoff, he was unable to climb, and to avoid hitting buildings along his flight path, he elected to land the airplane but did not retard to throttle. The airplane then touched down, slid through a security fence and into a propane gas facility, and burst into flames. The impact damage of the fence was the only damage sustained by the propane facility.

The pilot reported the following in a written statement, "...I applied full power to the aircraft and proceeded down the runway. Approximately 1500 feet down the runway the aircraft developed lift and the airspeed indicator was at 65 kts. I pulled the aircraft off the ground to be in ground effect to develop more airspeed. The aircraft controls felt mushy or to wallow and I ran out of runway to put the aircraft down safely due to Vine St. at the west end of the runway. The aircraft seemed to develop lift and airspeed at the end of the runway, so I continued the flight. The aircraft controls again felt mushy like the plane did not want to maintain flight. I made the decision to put the aircraft down. After viewing the crash site, the aircraft touched down in an open field 30 ft east of the chain link fence surrounding Ferrell gas plant. The fence is approximately 100 yards west of Vine St. The aircraft came to rest after hitting the fence and an empty propane tank. The aircraft instantly burst into flames, the pilot door was jammed and would not open. I kicked the door open and crawled out of the plane and ran to the rear of the aircraft into the open field..."

The Flight Training Handbook, FAA-H-8083-3, states, "...The following cues may be useful in recognizing the approaching stall:

The feeling of control pressures is also very important. As speed is reduced, the resistance to pressures on the controls becomes progressively less. Pressures exerted on the controls tend to become movements of the control surfaces. The lag between these movements and the response of the airplane becomes greater, until in a complete stall all controls can be moved with almost no resistance, and with little immediate effect on the airplane."

The Student Pilot's Flight Manual, discusses the drag effects and power requirements when operating at the "back side of the power curve." The Student Pilot's Flight Manual states, "The power curve gets its characteristic U shape because the airplane is subjected to two types of drag. ...total drag is composed of parasite drag, which increases with airspeed, and induced drag, which becomes much stronger as the airplane slows up..."

The grass blade length of runway 28 was approximately 2.5 inches.

The takeoff distance data from grass surface is listed in the pilot operating handbook for short, dry, level grass runways. The data is predicated on a lift off speed of 65 kts and a speed of 74 kts at 50 feet agl. Takeoff distance data shows a ground roll distance of 1,220 feet at a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius with a 0 knot headwind component at a gross airplane weight.

The Airport/Facility Directory information for 0H7 states that low intensity runway lighting for runway 10-28 is indefinitely out of service.

The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction failure with the airplane.

NTSB Probable Cause

The improper soft field takeoff/procedure by the pilot. Contributing factors were the night condition and the inadequate planning/decision by the pilot.