What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 10, 1999, at 0930 hours pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172H, N3289L, veered right off runway 30 and collided with a taxiway sign during takeoff from the north Las Vegas, Nevada, airport. The acft was operated by north Las Vegas flying club and was rented by the pilot for a personal cross-country flight under 14 CFR part 91 of the federal aviation regulations. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. The private pilot and his two passengers were no injured. The flight was originating at the time as a cross-country flight to the grand canyon national park airport. In a written statement, the pilot reported that he was attempting a formation takeoff with another aircraft and initiated his takeoff roll when the first aircraft became airborne. At 65 mph, the pilot rotated and the aircraft veered right just as the wheels left the ground. The pilot stated that he was unable to rain control of the acft and the nose wheel collided with a taxiway sign. He said he then was finally able to regain acft control and took the acft around the traffic pattern and landed on runway 7. As the nose wheel touched down, the nose strut collapsed. Subsequent examination of the acft revealed damage to the firewall and right hortizontal stablizer. (-23)the pilot of N3289L lost control of his aircraft for unknown reasons shortly after rotation. The aircraft veered to the right, striking and destroying a large taxiway sign displaced approximately 67 feet from the runway centerline. The pilot regained control of the aircraft and left the airport traffic area long enough to allow another pilot to approach and inspect his aircraft. When the pilot returned to the airport to land, he landed flat and hard, bouncing at least once. About 600' from initial touchdown. The nosegear departed the aircraft. The aircraft then skidded on its nose approximately 100' before coming to rest. The resulting substantial damage including the firewall, engine, propeller and right horizontal stabilizer.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 10, 1999, AT 0930 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172H, N3289L, VEERED RIGHT OFF RUNWAY 30 AND COLLIDED WITH A TAXIWAY SIGN DURING TAKEOFF FROM THE NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, AIRPORT. THE ACFT WAS OPERATED BY NORTH LAS VEGAS FLYING CLUB AND WAS RENTED BY THE PILOT FOR A PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE NO INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME AS A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO THE GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK AIRPORT. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS ATTEMPTING A FORMATION TAKEOFF WITH ANOTHER AIRCRAFT AND INITIATED HIS TAKEOFF ROLL WHEN THE FIRST AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE. AT 65 MPH, THE PILOT ROTATED AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED RIGHT JUST AS THE WHEELS LEFT THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO RAIN CONTROL OF THE ACFT AND THE NOSE WHEEL COLLIDED WITH A TAXIWAY SIGN. HE SAID HE THEN WAS FINALLY ABLE TO REGAIN ACFT CONTROL AND TOOK THE ACFT AROUND THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 7. AS THE NOSE WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN, THE NOSE STRUT COLLAPSED. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL AND RIGHT HORTIZONTAL STABLIZER. (-23)THE PILOT OF N3289L LOST CONTROL OF HIS AIRCRAFT FOR UNKNOWN REASONS SHORTLY AFTER ROTATION. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT, STRIKING AND DESTROYING A LARGE TAXIWAY SIGN DISPLACED APPROXIMATELY 67 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE PILOT REGAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND LEFT THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC AREA LONG ENOUGH TO ALLOW ANOTHER PILOT TO APPROACH AND INSPECT HIS AIRCRAFT. WHEN THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT TO LAND, HE LANDED FLAT AND HARD, BOUNCING AT LEAST ONCE. ABOUT 600' FROM INITIAL TOUCHDOWN. THE NOSEGEAR DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SKIDDED ON ITS NOSE APPROXIMATELY 100' BEFORE COMING TO REST. THE RESULTING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE INCLUDING THE FIREWALL, ENGINE, PROPELLER AND RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.