- Date
- August 1, 2014, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Steamboat Springs, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N776BCAviat Husky
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 15, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminisrtation
- FAA report
- 20140801014729A
- Case key
- 89963
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 rated pilot's inadvertent flight control input resulting in a ground loop and substantial damage to the right wing.
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
According to the FAA Certificated flight instructor, he was instructing the student rated pilot on a mountain flying technique known as "popping the flaps" in order to aid in gaining altitude during short field takeoffs. He stated that shortly after rotation, the student reached down to pop the flaps and inadvertently leaned on the yoke, causing the airplane to descend, strike the ground and loop to the right. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.
Factual narrative
According to the FAA Certificated flight instructor, he was instructing the student rated pilot on a mountain flying technique known as "popping the flaps" in order to aid in gaining altitude during short field takeoffs. He stated that shortly after rotation, the student reached down to pop the flaps and inadvertently leaned on the yoke, causing the airplane to descend, strike the ground and loop to the right. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N776BC
- Reported as
- Aviat Husky (A1B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2079
- Built
- 2000
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-CIG, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hoot Aero LLC
- Registered owner
- Hoot Aero LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SBS · Steamboat Springs, CO
- Destination
- SBS · Steamboat Springs, CO
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 17, 2013
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 1,895 total · 75 in this make and model
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 31, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 500 total · 58 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- KSBS, 3 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 31, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 724 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.