- Date
- July 25, 2014, 20:00 local (Jul 26, 2014, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Caputa, SD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5530KBellanca 7GCBC
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 24, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Rapid City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140725016489A
- Case key
- 89752
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 improper takeoff procedure and the flight instructor's failure to take control of the airplane and abort the takeoff.
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 flight instructor reported that the student pilot pushed the throttle about 3/4 of the way in during the takeoff roll, and did not add full power until about 1/2 way down the 1,500 foot grass airstrip. The airplane had not attained flying airspeed by the time it reached the end of the runway. The airplane became airborne, but it settled and impacted the terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wingtip. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that the student pilot pushed the throttle about 3/4 of the way in during the takeoff roll, and did not add full power until about 1/2 way down the 1,500 foot grass airstrip. The airplane had not attained flying airspeed by the time it reached the end of the runway. The airplane became airborne, but it settled and impacted the terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wingtip. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5530K
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1026-78
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 2,000
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Wright Thomas R
- Registered owner
- Wright Thomas R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Caputa, SD
- Destination
- Caputa, SD
- Airport
- XXX · Private Airstrip, runway 18, 1,500 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2013
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 10 total · 10 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- RAP
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 3, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 MB 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 N5530K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.