Beech King Air 200, Green Bay, Wis., June 30, 2004–The accident was caused by the loss of engine power for an undetermined reason and the pilot’s premature retraction of the landing gear after takeoff, said the Safety Board.
On takeoff from Austin Straubel International Airport, as the landing gear was retracting, the King Air experienced a loss of power. Attempting to land the airplane on the remaining runway, the pilot tried to put the gear down, but there was insufficient time for it to extend before the airplane touched down. The aircraft was substantially damaged in the crash, but no one was injured.
The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook, Chapter 11, states, “Normally, the landing gear should be retracted after liftoff when the airplane has reached an altitude where, in the event of an engine failure or other emergency requiring an aborted takeoff, the airplane could no longer be landed on the runway.”