20190607006109A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna A185F · St. Francis, ME · June 7, 2019

Date: June 7, 2019 · 12:36 local
Place: St. Francis, ME
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N484RF
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA19CA320
Reported as: Cessna A185F
Reported engine: Continental IO-520 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 190 total

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 June 7, 2019 at 15:00 local time, N484RF was operating from a dirt landing strip in remote north western Maine. The departure runway is not charted on aeronautical sectional charts but is located at 46 degrees 54 minutes and 1 second north and 69 degrees 47 minutes and 17 seconds west. The airman estimated the wind to be around 15 knots out of the west north west. Due to the wind direction the airman elected to use runway 34 for departure to obtain an upwind take off. Upon the application of power for take off, the aircraft experienced a yaw to the left which was countered by full right rudder. Power was reduced to lessen p factor and re align with the center of the runway and take off power was applied again. The aircraft again was unable to maintain directional control and ended up departing the side of the runway and the left wing impacted a small tree and continued into the brush.

As the FAA filed it

ON JUNE 7, 2019 AT 15:00 LOCAL TIME, N484RF WAS OPERATING FROM A DIRT LANDING STRIP IN REMOTE NORTH WESTERN MAINE. THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY IS NOT CHARTED ON AERONAUTICAL SECTIONAL CHARTS BUT IS LOCATED AT 46 DEGREES 54 MINUTES AND 1 SECOND NORTH AND 69 DEGREES 47 MINUTES AND 17 SECONDS WEST. THE AIRMAN ESTIMATED THE WIND TO BE AROUND 15 KNOTS OUT OF THE WEST NORTH WEST. DUE TO THE WIND DIRECTION THE AIRMAN ELECTED TO USE RUNWAY 34 FOR DEPARTURE TO OBTAIN AN UPWIND TAKE OFF. UPON THE APPLICATION OF POWER FOR TAKE OFF, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A YAW TO THE LEFT WHICH WAS COUNTERED BY FULL RIGHT RUDDER. POWER WAS REDUCED TO LESSEN P FACTOR AND RE ALIGN WITH THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY AND TAKE OFF POWER WAS APPLIED AGAIN. THE AIRCRAFT AGAIN WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND ENDED UP DEPARTING THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND THE LEFT WING IMPACTED A SMALL TREE AND CONTINUED INTO THE BRUSH.

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 GAA19CA320Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportAshland, METhe pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a tree.Jun 7, 2019 · Substantial damage