What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Taken from witness statements:
During takeoff, N5185R pitched up to nearly vertical, climbed up to between 60 to 80 feet above ground level, the nose dropped to the left, the plane banked hard to the left, then to the right and finally impacted on the left side of the runway in a field.
FAA inspector findings at the scene; during impact, from the ground scaring, it appeared the right wing contacted the ground first followed by the propeller and engine then landed flat on the belly of the aircraft in an upright position. There was no post fire involved.
Two people that were on the airplane during the accident gave their statements to CFI (certified flight instructor) privacy data omitted who was also a witness to the accident. The statements were obtained at the cape fear valley hospital on Monday February 17, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. EST. privacy data omitted Was sitting in the front left seat of the aircraft and was the person on the controls. privacy data omitted Was sitting in the left rear seat. privacy data omitted Was the CFI in the front right seat and the pilot in command (PIC) of N5185R. These are privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted statements.
? privacy data omitted Statement; ?we were going down the runway and then we took off and I was on the controls. I was pulling back and kept pulling back. privacy data omitted Told me to let go but I didn?t. then the lights started all flashing and then I let go. privacy data omitted Tried to fix it but I guess it was too late?.
? privacy data omitted Statement; ?on my flight right before this one, I didn?t get to touch the controls until we were in the air over the airport. But privacy data omitted was on the controls when we were taking off. He kept pulling back and I got scared because we were going up and up. privacy data omitted Kept telling him to let go and let him have it but privacy data omitted kept pulling back. I started screaming and I think privacy data omitted was also. Then the airplane was going down and I don?t remember the rest?.
We were unable to get a statement from privacy data omitted due to the fact he was in the hospital undergoing operations at the time the witness statements were taken.
In the FAA?s opinion, investigation revealed that the CFI was not able to regain control of N5185R due to privacy data omitted pulling back on the yoke and not relinquishing the controls despite repeated commands from the CFI privacy data omitted. It appears that privacy data omitted overpowered privacy data omitted on the yoke causing loss of control of the aircraft resulting in a stall and impact with the ground. N5185R being at only 60 to 80 feet off the ground was too low of an altitude for a full recovery.
As the FAA filed it
TAKEN FROM WITNESS STATEMENTS:
DURING TAKEOFF, N5185R PITCHED UP TO NEARLY VERTICAL, CLIMBED UP TO BETWEEN 60 TO 80 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE NOSE DROPPED TO THE LEFT, THE PLANE BANKED HARD TO THE LEFT, THEN TO THE RIGHT AND FINALLY IMPACTED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY IN A FIELD.
FAA INSPECTOR FINDINGS AT THE SCENE; DURING IMPACT, FROM THE GROUND SCARING, IT APPEARED THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND FIRST FOLLOWED BY THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE THEN LANDED FLAT ON THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THERE WAS NO POST FIRE INVOLVED.
TWO PEOPLE THAT WERE ON THE AIRPLANE DURING THE ACCIDENT GAVE THEIR STATEMENTS TO CFI (CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHO WAS ALSO A WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT. THE STATEMENTS WERE OBTAINED AT THE CAPE FEAR VALLEY HOSPITAL ON MONDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2020, AT 6:00 P.M. EST. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT LEFT SEAT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS THE PERSON ON THE CONTROLS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SITTING IN THE LEFT REAR SEAT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE CFI IN THE FRONT RIGHT SEAT AND THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) OF N5185R. THESE ARE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATEMENTS.
? ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATEMENT; ?WE WERE GOING DOWN THE RUNWAY AND THEN WE TOOK OFF AND I WAS ON THE CONTROLS. I WAS PULLING BACK AND KEPT PULLING BACK. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOLD ME TO LET GO BUT I DIDN?T. THEN THE LIGHTS STARTED ALL FLASHING AND THEN I LET GO. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TRIED TO FIX IT BUT I GUESS IT WAS TOO LATE?.
? ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATEMENT; ?ON MY FLIGHT RIGHT BEFORE THIS ONE, I DIDN?T GET TO TOUCH THE CONTROLS UNTIL WE WERE IN THE AIR OVER THE AIRPORT. BUT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ON THE CONTROLS WHEN WE WERE TAKING OFF. HE KEPT PULLING BACK AND I GOT SCARED BECAUSE WE WERE GOING UP AND UP. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ KEPT TELLING HIM TO LET GO AND LET HIM HAVE IT BUT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ KEPT PULLING BACK. I STARTED SCREAMING AND I THINK ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ALSO. THEN THE AIRPLANE WAS GOING DOWN AND I DON?T REMEMBER THE REST?.
WE WERE UNABLE TO GET A STATEMENT FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DUE TO THE FACT HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL UNDERGOING OPERATIONS AT THE TIME THE WITNESS STATEMENTS WERE TAKEN.
IN THE FAA?S OPINION, INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE CFI WAS NOT ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF N5185R DUE TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PULLING BACK ON THE YOKE AND NOT RELINQUISHING THE CONTROLS DESPITE REPEATED COMMANDS FROM THE CFI ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. IT APPEARS THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OVERPOWERED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON THE YOKE CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT RESULTING IN A STALL AND IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. N5185R BEING AT ONLY 60 TO 80 FEET OFF THE GROUND WAS TOO LOW OF AN ALTITUDE FOR A FULL RECOVERY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5185R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.