What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 16 feb 2020 I was notified of an aircraft accident that occurred at High Point Airport in Valley Center, KS at approximately 1500 hours local time. The aircraft was manufactured by Cessna aircraft company in 1947. The registration number was N170RH, serial number 18030. It was reported that the pilot had crashed just after takeoff. I arrived at the scene at approximately 1600 hours local time.
The first contact the aircraft had with the ground was 378 feet from the end of the runway. The aircraft was located approximately 488 feet south of the end of the runway with the nose of the aircraft facing in a north west direction.
I was contacted by the owner of the aircraft, privacy data omitted, at the scene of the accident. privacy data omitted Stated that he was departing runway 17 at High Point Airport located in Valley Center, KS. privacy data omitted Stated that the aircraft accelerated to 60 mph and was making full power so he continued the takeoff roll. He further stated that the aircraft would not rotate and as he reached the end of the runway he was forced to rotate and pull back hard. Mr. Elliott also stated that he reduced power and attempted to land in an open field south of the airport. The aircraft struck the ground and caused the right main gear to break just above the wheel and brake assembly. The broken wheel assembly was located approximately 60 feet east of the aircraft.
There were 4 people on the aircraft including the pilot. The pilot had minor injuries to the left side of his face from striking the left door pillar of the aircraft during the accident sequence. None of the remaining passengers were injured.
The pilot stated that he had performed a weight and balance calculation and the aircraft weight was 2,182 lbs. And the center of gravity was calculated as 42.6 inches. The weight and balance listed in the type certificate data sheet is listed as 2200 lbs maximum take off weight. The aircraft appeared to be within allowable limits.
The runway at High Point Airport is 2400 feet long and 100 feet wide. It is a turf runway and the condition was reported as wet and soft. privacy data omitted Calculated that his take off with the existing conditions should be approximately 1400 feet. It was reported to this inspector that the first 100 feet of the runway was unusable due to standing water and mud which left approximately 2100 feet of usable runway.
The aircraft records were examined and it was determined that the aircraft inspection and maintenance records were current and the aircraft was airworthy. Control continuity was verified to the Point that all the primary control surfaces were moveable but due to the damage to the aircraft the connections to the cabin controls could not be fully verified.
As the FAA filed it
ON 16 FEB 2020 I WAS NOTIFIED OF AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED AT HIGH POINT AIRPORT IN VALLEY CENTER, KS AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 HOURS LOCAL TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MANUFACTURED BY CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY IN 1947. THE REGISTRATION NUMBER WAS N170RH, SERIAL NUMBER 18030. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD CRASHED JUST AFTER TAKEOFF. I ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 HOURS LOCAL TIME.
THE FIRST CONTACT THE AIRCRAFT HAD WITH THE GROUND WAS 378 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 488 FEET SOUTH OF THE END OF THE RUNWAY WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT FACING IN A NORTH WEST DIRECTION.
I WAS CONTACTED BY THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE WAS DEPARTING RUNWAY 17 AT HIGH POINT AIRPORT LOCATED IN VALLEY CENTER, KS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED TO 60 MPH AND WAS MAKING FULL POWER SO HE CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF ROLL. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT ROTATE AND AS HE REACHED THE END OF THE RUNWAY HE WAS FORCED TO ROTATE AND PULL BACK HARD. MR. ELLIOTT ALSO STATED THAT HE REDUCED POWER AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN AN OPEN FIELD SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND AND CAUSED THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR TO BREAK JUST ABOVE THE WHEEL AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY. THE BROKEN WHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET EAST OF THE AIRCRAFT.
THERE WERE 4 PEOPLE ON THE AIRCRAFT INCLUDING THE PILOT. THE PILOT HAD MINOR INJURIES TO THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS FACE FROM STRIKING THE LEFT DOOR PILLAR OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE. NONE OF THE REMAINING PASSENGERS WERE INJURED.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD PERFORMED A WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATION AND THE AIRCRAFT WEIGHT WAS 2,182 LBS. AND THE CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS CALCULATED AS 42.6 INCHES. THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE LISTED IN THE TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET IS LISTED AS 2200 LBS MAXIMUM TAKE OFF WEIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE WITHIN ALLOWABLE LIMITS.
THE RUNWAY AT HIGH POINT AIRPORT IS 2400 FEET LONG AND 100 FEET WIDE. IT IS A TURF RUNWAY AND THE CONDITION WAS REPORTED AS WET AND SOFT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CALCULATED THAT HIS TAKE OFF WITH THE EXISTING CONDITIONS SHOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 1400 FEET. IT WAS REPORTED TO THIS INSPECTOR THAT THE FIRST 100 FEET OF THE RUNWAY WAS UNUSABLE DUE TO STANDING WATER AND MUD WHICH LEFT APPROXIMATELY 2100 FEET OF USABLE RUNWAY.
THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS WERE EXAMINED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE CURRENT AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS AIRWORTHY. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS VERIFIED TO THE POINT THAT ALL THE PRIMARY CONTROL SURFACES WERE MOVEABLE BUT DUE TO THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT THE CONNECTIONS TO THE CABIN CONTROLS COULD NOT BE FULLY VERIFIED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.