- Date
- June 13, 2004, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Meridianville, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N98981Cessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Birmingham FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040613010279A
- Case key
- 59636
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 failure to maintain directional control during an attempted takeoff, which resulted in the on ground collision with the ground.
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 pilot stated that the airplane touched down smoothly. He stated that when he advanced the throttle to takeoff, the airplane began to turn left, and he responded by depressing the right rudder. The pilot stated that the airplane began to "fish-tail." The airplane veered off the left side of the runway into the grass, and the nose wheel assembly was torn from the airframe. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the nose gear separated from the fuselage, the lower firewall was cracked, and the propeller was bent on one side. The pilot stated that "he should have exercised better directional control on takeoff". The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On June 13, 2004, at 1030 central daylight time, a Cessna 172, N98981, owned by a private owner and operated by Executive Flight Center, Inc. , veered off runway 18 at Madison County Airport (MDQ), Meridianville, Alabama. The private pilot was not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal flight was conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The local flight departed MDQ on June 13, 2004, at 0920.
According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to practice touch and go's in the traffic pattern. He stated that on his second landing of the day, the airplane touched down smoothly. He stated that when he advanced the throttle to take off, the airplane began to turn left, and he responded by adding right rudder. The pilot stated that the airplane began to "fish-tail," and he believes that he either "over compensated or under compensated with the rudder". The airplane veered off the left side of the runway into the grass, collided with a ditch, and the nose wheel assembly was torn from the airframe.
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the nose gear separated from the fuselage, the lower firewall was cracked, and the propeller was bent on one side. The pilot stated that "he should have exercised better directional control on takeoff". The pilot reported no mechanical problem with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N98981
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276390
- Airframe hours
- 1,602.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O 320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Executive Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Harold McMurran
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 12, 2004 · 2.7 hours before
- Departed
- KMDQ · Meridianville, AL
- Destination
- KMDQ · Meridianville, AL
- Airport
- KMDQ · Madison County Executive, runway 18, 5,008 × 100 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
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- November 10, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 68 total · 9 in this make and model · 36 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- kmdq
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.