What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 04/07/2026 Fort Mohave, Arizona (A20), 1200 MST, the pilot of a Cessna T-41B lost directional control of aircraft during the takeoff roll on runway 17 and impacted a dwelling. One pilot, one passenger on board, both sustained minor injuries. Aircraft was destroyed on impact and the dwelling received substantial damage. No other injuries reported. Flight control continuity was established. FAA iic on scene investigation was conducted with the following findings through witness interviews, cctv video and on scene investigation findings. The aircraft departed runway 17 to the east, continued through a dirt field and jumped a berm adjacent to the unmarked east side taxiway, continued across the remaining taxiway, crossed the adjacent dwellings front yard to the north, and impacted the north side of a dwellings garage wall. Aircraft came to rest on a southeast heading. First responder/paramedic a rated pilot, found the aircraft's throttle, propeller, and mixture controls were in the full forward position which is consistant with the pilot's statement. Magneto switch was found in (both) position. FAA iic found the flaps fully retracted. The majority of the fuselage was found inside the dwellings garage. The right wing was severed in half and the right-wing root partially separated from aircraft fuselage. The left wing was bent rearward impacting and deforming fuselage and leading edge severely damaged. Nose wheel landing gear was bent rearward but intact. Main landing gear was intact. Engine cowling and engine mount were bent and shifted to left side of aircraft. Windscreen was destroyed and fragmented inside of cockpit. Empannage, vertical stabilizer, horizontal stabilizer, and rudder were undamaged. Pilot stated the following in their statement of events. "After returning from a breakfast trip 10 min earlier we repositioned passengers. Pilot and 11-year-OLD passenger taxied plane from residence for a short ride. Positioned plane for takeoff on runway 17. Pilot applied full power plane rolled an estimated 30’ + and started an abrupt veer to the left into the ruff dirt and vegetation. Pilot tried to correct and gain control but unable due the ruff bumpy conditions. Plane continued to gain speed pilot unable to reach mixture control to shut down engine. Again, ruff bumpy conditions. Plane and passenger struck a house garage on east side of adjoining taxiway coming to a full stop. After tracing back plane tracking from runway, it is thought a low to flat tire may have been the cause of the incident. When plane was removed, it was found to have a left main gear flat tire. All other tires had air." After cctv review and tire witness marks at the scene, the ASI has determined that the findings at the scene are inconsistent with a flat tire. FAA iic has concluded the root cause of accident was the pilots failure to maintain directional control of aircraft and retard throttle in response to loss of directional control. This report may be amended in the future.
As the FAA filed it
ON 04/07/2026 FORT MOHAVE, ARIZONA (A20), 1200 MST, THE PILOT OF A CESSNA T-41B LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL ON RUNWAY 17 AND IMPACTED A DWELLING. ONE PILOT, ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD, BOTH SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT AND THE DWELLING RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO OTHER INJURIES REPORTED. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. FAA IIC ON SCENE INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS THROUGH WITNESS INTERVIEWS, CCTV VIDEO AND ON SCENE INVESTIGATION FINDINGS. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 17 TO THE EAST, CONTINUED THROUGH A DIRT FIELD AND JUMPED A BERM ADJACENT TO THE UNMARKED EAST SIDE TAXIWAY, CONTINUED ACROSS THE REMAINING TAXIWAY, CROSSED THE ADJACENT DWELLINGS FRONT YARD TO THE NORTH, AND IMPACTED THE NORTH SIDE OF A DWELLINGS GARAGE WALL. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A SOUTHEAST HEADING. FIRST RESPONDER/PARAMEDIC A RATED PILOT, FOUND THE AIRCRAFT'S THROTTLE, PROPELLER, AND MIXTURE CONTROLS WERE IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION WHICH IS CONSISTANT WITH THE PILOT'S STATEMENT. MAGNETO SWITCH WAS FOUND IN (BOTH) POSITION. FAA IIC FOUND THE FLAPS FULLY RETRACTED. THE MAJORITY OF THE FUSELAGE WAS FOUND INSIDE THE DWELLINGS GARAGE. THE RIGHT WING WAS SEVERED IN HALF AND THE RIGHT-WING ROOT PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE. THE LEFT WING WAS BENT REARWARD IMPACTING AND DEFORMING FUSELAGE AND LEADING EDGE SEVERELY DAMAGED. NOSE WHEEL LANDING GEAR WAS BENT REARWARD BUT INTACT. MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS INTACT. ENGINE COWLING AND ENGINE MOUNT WERE BENT AND SHIFTED TO LEFT SIDE OF AIRCRAFT. WINDSCREEN WAS DESTROYED AND FRAGMENTED INSIDE OF COCKPIT. EMPANNAGE, VERTICAL STABILIZER, HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, AND RUDDER WERE UNDAMAGED. PILOT STATED THE FOLLOWING IN THEIR STATEMENT OF EVENTS. "AFTER RETURNING FROM A BREAKFAST TRIP 10 MIN EARLIER WE REPOSITIONED PASSENGERS. PILOT AND 11-YEAR-OLD PASSENGER TAXIED PLANE FROM RESIDENCE FOR A SHORT RIDE. POSITIONED PLANE FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 17. PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER PLANE ROLLED AN ESTIMATED 30’ + AND STARTED AN ABRUPT VEER TO THE LEFT INTO THE RUFF DIRT AND VEGETATION. PILOT TRIED TO CORRECT AND GAIN CONTROL BUT UNABLE DUE THE RUFF BUMPY CONDITIONS. PLANE CONTINUED TO GAIN SPEED PILOT UNABLE TO REACH MIXTURE CONTROL TO SHUT DOWN ENGINE. AGAIN, RUFF BUMPY CONDITIONS. PLANE AND PASSENGER STRUCK A HOUSE GARAGE ON EAST SIDE OF ADJOINING TAXIWAY COMING TO A FULL STOP. AFTER TRACING BACK PLANE TRACKING FROM RUNWAY, IT IS THOUGHT A LOW TO FLAT TIRE MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT. WHEN PLANE WAS REMOVED, IT WAS FOUND TO HAVE A LEFT MAIN GEAR FLAT TIRE. ALL OTHER TIRES HAD AIR." AFTER CCTV REVIEW AND TIRE WITNESS MARKS AT THE SCENE, THE ASI HAS DETERMINED THAT THE FINDINGS AT THE SCENE ARE INCONSISTENT WITH A FLAT TIRE. FAA IIC HAS CONCLUDED THE ROOT CAUSE OF ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOTS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT AND RETARD THROTTLE IN RESPONSE TO LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THIS REPORT MAY BE AMENDED IN THE FUTURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.