- Date
- October 10, 1991, 18:00 local (Oct 11, 1991, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chugiak, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4606CCessna 170B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19911010045599A
- Case key
- 5663
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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff run.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The student pilot was practicing solo takeoff and landings with the instructor supervising from the ramp. After a number of takeoff and landings, the student pilot taxied to the instructor's location and the instructor then told him to continue practicing. The student pilot taxied to the runway and began his takeoff roll. The airplane became airborne after only a partial power application by the pilot and began to veer to the left and he applied right rudder. He stated the airplane did not respond and he aborted the takeoff by reducing the throttle. He stated he failed to remove the right rudder and the airplane immediately made a sharp right turn. The left wing struck the runway and the airplane nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4606C
- Reported as
- Cessna 170B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25550
- Engine
- Lycoming O-340-A1A, 170 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Fitzgibbon, Paul Gratton
- Registered owner
- Bingman, Lester
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 5, 1990 · 78 hours before
- Departed
- Z15
- Airport
- Z15 · Birchwood, runway 1, 4,000 × 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
- 24
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 38 total · 38 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
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 N4606C · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.