- Date
- June 2, 2012, 16:15 local (Jun 3, 2012, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Ketchikan, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3235JCessna 150G
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120602011239A
- Case key
- 83848
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to take off with a quartering tailwind, which resulted in a loss of control.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he departed from runway 29, a dry, paved runway, with a slight left quartering tailwind. As the airplane accelerated, it veered to the left with full right rudder applied. The airplane turned right, and the left main gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot said that the accident might have been avoided if he had used a different runway.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he was departing a dry paved runway, which required a correction for a slight left quartering tailwind. As the airplane accelerated, it veered to the left, with full right rudder applied. The airplane turned right, and the left main gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. In the pilot’s written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board he noted that the accident might have been avoided if he had used a different runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3235J
- Reported as
- Cessna 150G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15065935
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-200 SERIES, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- PAKT · Ketchikan, AK
- Destination
- PAYA · Yakutat, AK
- Airport
- PAKT · Ketchikan International, runway 29, 7,500 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 25, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 491 total · 0 in this make and model · 429 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- PAKT
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 27, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 731 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3235J · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.