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20230712015389A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Douglas A-4K · Cherry Point, NC · July 12, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 12, 2023 · 13:55 local
Place
Cherry Point, NC
Airport
Cherry Point Mcas /Cunningham
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N143EM
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA23LA298
Reported as
Douglas A-4K
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney J52 P08
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
N143EMRegistration cancelled Dec 26, 2023 · Douglas A-4KS/N 154905 · Built 1970Airframe modelDouglas A-4KEngine modelPratt & Whitney J52 P08Turbo-jet

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.

The flight on 07/12/2023 was being conducted under public use for a privacy data omitted. After completing pre-takeoff procedures and confirming proper takeoff configuration, the aircraft was cleared to takeoff runway 05L at privacy data omitted Cherry Point. Upon reaching vr the aircraft would not rotate with slight back pressure on the stick. The pilot pulled the stick full aft while simultaneously adding nose up trim. Those actions did not help to bring the nose up for rotation. With the aircraft past V1 speed, stick full aft, and no nose authority the pilot made the decision to eject from the aircraft.

Aircraft was largely intact in grass about 1,000 yards off the departure end of rw 5L with substantial damage. Upon examining the wreckage, the throttles were in the full forward position, flaps were positioned at roughly 8 degrees and elevator trim positioned at 0 degrees. Tailhook was up. Drag chute stowed and intact. There was no report of runaway trim from maintenance personnel after the aircraft was inspected further.

As the FAA filed it

THE FLIGHT ON 07/12/2023 WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER PUBLIC USE FOR A ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AFTER COMPLETING PRE-TAKEOFF PROCEDURES AND CONFIRMING PROPER TAKEOFF CONFIGURATION, THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED TO TAKEOFF RUNWAY 05L AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CHERRY POINT. UPON REACHING VR THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT ROTATE WITH SLIGHT BACK PRESSURE ON THE STICK. THE PILOT PULLED THE STICK FULL AFT WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY ADDING NOSE UP TRIM. THOSE ACTIONS DID NOT HELP TO BRING THE NOSE UP FOR ROTATION. WITH THE AIRCRAFT PAST V1 SPEED, STICK FULL AFT, AND NO NOSE AUTHORITY THE PILOT MADE THE DECISION TO EJECT FROM THE AIRCRAFT.

AIRCRAFT WAS LARGELY INTACT IN GRASS ABOUT 1,000 YARDS OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF RW 5L WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. UPON EXAMINING THE WRECKAGE, THE THROTTLES WERE IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION, FLAPS WERE POSITIONED AT ROUGHLY 8 DEGREES AND ELEVATOR TRIM POSITIONED AT 0 DEGREES. TAILHOOK WAS UP. DRAG CHUTE STOWED AND INTACT. THERE WAS NO REPORT OF RUNAWAY TRIM FROM MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED FURTHER.

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 ERA23LA298Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportMCAS Cherry Point, NCThe pilot’s failure to identify and appropriately respond to an anomalous nose-down trim condition during the takeoff roll, which resulted in his decision to eject and the airplane’s subsequent runway excursion.Jul 12, 2023 · Substantial damage