20100720055799A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aeronca 11AC · Randolph, NY · July 20, 2010

Date
July 20, 2010 · 09:30 local
Place
Randolph, NY
Airport
Randolph
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9120E
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA11CA163
Reported as
Aeronca 11AC
Reported engine
Continental AC65
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
27,500 total200 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

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.

On July 20, 2010 the student pilot, privacy data omitted conducted a preflight inspection of Aeronca chief, N-9120E. There were no mechanical irregularities noted during that inspection. The PIC and flight instructor for that flight, privacy data omitted arrived shortly prior to takeoff and joined privacy data omitted. A weight and balance was not accomplished and aircraft performance was not evaluated. The aircraft was taxied without incident to the takeoff area of Randolph Airport (D85) in Randolph, NY and a normal runup was accomplished. The aircraft was established for departure to the west on runway 28.the student pilot, privacy data omitted was performing the takeoff when during the takeoff roll with the tailwheel still on the ground the aircraft began to yaw to the right one or two degrees. The PIC, privacy data omitted stated that he had the flight controls and took control of the aircraft. The aircraft continued to accelerate and turn more to the right toward the house of airport owner, privacy data omitted. As it became obvious to privacy data omitted that the aircraft would collide with a large propane tank in the backyard of the house he pulled the throttle to idle. The aircraft impacted the southwest corner of the house with the right wing and was spun hard to the right causing the left wing to hit the support between the two garage doors. The aircraft suffered substantial damage to the left wing, having broken both fore and aft spars. The house suffered damage to the gutter system and garage door system. After the aircraft came to rest and aircraft occupants got out of the aircraft the student pilot was instructed that this event did not need to be reported to anyone. At that time the PIC and flight instructor, privacy data omitted, got back in his airplane and departed the airport. Upon investigation by the FAA it was determined by weights given that the aircraft was operated 144 pounds (12 percent) over maximum gross weight. It was determined that the aircraft was operated within the allowable center of gravity range. As of the date of this report the PIC, privacy data omittedhas refused to contact the FAA regarding investigation of this accident.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 20, 2010 THE STUDENT PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONDUCTED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF AERONCA CHIEF, N-9120E. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES NOTED DURING THAT INSPECTION.THE PIC AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FOR THAT FLIGHT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ARRIVED SHORTLY PRIOR TO TAKEOFF AND JOINED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. A WEIGHT AND BALANCE WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED AND AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE WAS NOT EVALUATED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIED WITHOUT INCIDENT TO THE TAKEOFF AREA OF RANDOLPH AIRPORT (D85) IN RANDOLPH, NY AND A NORMAL RUNUP WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ESTABLISHED FOR DEPARTURE TO THE WEST ON RUNWAY 28.THE STUDENT PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS PERFORMING THE TAKEOFF WHEN DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL WITH THE TAILWHEEL STILL ON THE GROUND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO YAW TO THE RIGHT ONE OR TWO DEGREES. THE PIC, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE HAD THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND TURN MORE TO THE RIGHT TOWARD THE HOUSE OF AIRPORT OWNER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AS IT BECAME OBVIOUS TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD COLLIDE WITH A LARGE PROPANE TANK IN THE BACKYARD OF THE HOUSE HE PULLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE HOUSE WITH THE RIGHT WING AND WAS SPUN HARD TO THE RIGHT CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO HIT THE SUPPORT BETWEEN THE TWO GARAGE DOORS. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, HAVING BROKEN BOTH FORE AND AFT SPARS. THE HOUSE SUFFERED DAMAGE TO THE GUTTER SYSTEM AND GARAGE DOOR SYSTEM.AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AND AIRCRAFT OCCUPANTS GOT OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT THE STUDENT PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED THAT THIS EVENT DID NOT NEED TO BE REPORTED TO ANYONE. AT THAT TIME THE PIC AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, GOT BACK IN HIS AIRPLANE AND DEPARTED THE AIRPORT.UPON INVESTIGATION BY THE FAA IT WAS DETERMINED BY WEIGHTS GIVEN THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED 144 POUNDS (12 PERCENT) OVER MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED WITHIN THE ALLOWABLE CENTER OF GRAVITY RANGE.AS OF THE DATE OF THIS REPORT THE PIC, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^HAS REFUSED TO CONTACT THE FAA REGARDING INVESTIGATION OF THIS ACCIDENT.

NTSB investigation

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