20050823022429A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aviat PITTS S1S · Mercer, PA · August 23, 2005

Date: August 23, 2005
Place: Mercer, PA
Airport: Nelson'S Run Airport
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N184MH
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC05CA136
Reported as: Aviat PITTSS1S
Reported engine: Lycoming O320*
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,500 total115 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days

N184MHRegistered now · Hanek Michael J JR PITTS S1SS/N 1 · Built 1999 Airframe modelHanek Michael J JR PITTS S1S Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Pilot was attempting to take off on the runway with a crosswind from the right. The aircraft started to fishtail and drift to the left towards the adjacent cornfield. The pilot rotated and climbed steeply to about 90 feet AGL. The aircraft rolled to the left and entered a steep descent. On impact in the cornfield, the right main gear broke off, and the aircraft flipped over on its back. The aircraft came to a stop approximately 800 feet from the start of the takeoff roll and approximately 150 feet from the runway edge in the cornfield.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF ON THE RUNWAY WITH A CROSSWIND FROM THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO FISHTAIL AND DRIFT TO THE LEFT TOWARDS THE ADJACENT CORNFIELD. THE PILOT ROTATED AND CLIMBED STEEPLY TO ABOUT 90 FEET AGL. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND ENTERED A STEEP DESCENT. ON IMPACT IN THE CORNFIELD, THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR BROKE OFF, AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET FROM THE START OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL AND APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY EDGE IN THE CORNFIELD.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC05CA136Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportMercer, PAThe pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff, which resulted in an on ground encounter with crops. A factor in this accident was the crosswind condition, as reported by the pilot.Aug 23, 2005 · Substantial damage