- Date
- June 7, 2013, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Minot, ND
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2054VCessna 140
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130607010349A
- Case key
- 87182
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 aircraft control during takeoff.
Findings · 1
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 student pilot was performing a takeoff on a soft grass runway. The pilot reported the takeoff roll seemed to take longer than he anticipated. After rotation, the airplane began to drift to the left and the pilot compensated with applying right rudder. The pilot then noticed the airplane was approaching the end of the runway and power lines. According to the pilot, the airplane stalled and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and firewall. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Factual narrative
The student pilot was performing a takeoff on a soft grass runway. The pilot reported the takeoff roll seemed to take longer than he anticipated. After rotation, the airplane began to drift to the left and the pilot compensated with applying right rudder. The pilot then noticed the airplane was approaching the end of the runway and power lines. According to the pilot, the airplane stalled and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and firewall. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2054V
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14267
- Engine
- Cont Motor C85 SERIES, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Minot, ND
- Destination
- Minot, ND
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- Minor
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 25 total · 25 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 5, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 478 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.