CEN17LA275

NTSB accident investigation · Golden Circle Air T-BIRD II · Dunn Center, ND · July 18, 2017

Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
July 17, 2017, 19:00 local (Jul 18, 2017, 00:00 UTC)
Place
Dunn Center, ND
Injuries
1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Aircraft
UNREGGolden Circle Air T-BIRD II
Defining event
Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report April 9, 2018
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
Case key
95606

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control, his inadequate quartering tailwind correction during takeoff, and his decision to continue the takeoff to the south with insufficient road length remaining.

Findings · 7

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.

Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parametersAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedAll aircraft: 1,269 casesProbable cause
Wind: tailwindEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Response/compensationAll aircraft: 594 casesProbable cause
Info processing/decision: decision making/judgmentPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotAll aircraft: 3,098 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: crosswind correctionAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedAll aircraft: 184 casesProbable cause
Object/animal/substance: fence/fence postEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcomeAll aircraft: 313 cases
Object/animal/substance: wireEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcomeAll aircraft: 588 cases

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

After filling the fuel tanks with fuel, the private pilot determined that the wind was about 7 knots from the north-northeast with gusts to 10 knots. He completed a preflight inspection and an engine run-up and then started the takeoff roll to the south on a gravel road. As the airplane lifted off, the left wing lifted. The airplane then rolled right and landed back on the road. With limited road available to stop the airplane, the pilot advanced the throttle and attempted another takeoff. The airplane did not lift off, and it continued through a fence and into a ditch. The airplane became airborne again, collided with power lines, and then descended nose first into the ground. It is likely that a quartering tailwind lifted the airplane's left wing after liftoff and that the pilot did not adequately correct for it, which resulted in the airplane touching down again. The pilot decided to continue the takeoff attempt with insufficient road length remaining, during which the airplane collided with obstacles on the ground, which prevented the airplane from having sufficient airspeed to climb over obstacles beyond the end of the road.

Factual narrative

On July 17, 2017, about 1900 mountain daylight time an unregistered Golden Circle Air T-Bird II airplane impacted power lines and terrain near Dunn Center, North Dakota. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight had just departed from a gravel road. The pilot reported that about 1830 he filled the airplane's fuel tanks with fuel and pulled the airplane out of the storage building. He then walked out to the gravel road to observe the wind conditions for about 10 minutes and determined the wind was 7 to 8 knots from the north-northeast. He completed a preflight inspection, an engine run up, and then started the takeoff roll to the south on the gravel road. The airplane lifted off the gravel road and a wind gust lifted the left wing, the airplane rolled to the right and landed back on the gravel road. The pilot added that he wanted to abort the takeoff, but there wasn't enough gravel road remaining after the wheels touched the ground, so he advanced the throttle to attempt another takeoff. The airplane did not lift off, continued through a fence, and then into a ditch. The airplane became airborne when it exited the ditch and the pilot attempted to avoid power lines by turning left. The airplane collided with the power lines and then descended nose first into the ground.

Aircraft

Registration
UNREG
Reported as
Golden Circle Air T-BIRD II
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
20026
Built
1987
Engine
Rotax 618, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Departed
Dunn Center, ND
Destination
Dunn Center, ND
Equipment
None

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
41
Injuries
Minor
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
June 15, 2016
Seat
Left
Restraint
Lap only
Flight hours
348.2 total · 7.8 in this make and model · 185.8 as pilot in command · 24.7 in the last 90 days · 2.4 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
40° at 13 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
82 °F, dew point 50 °F
Altimeter
29.89 inHg
Observed at
KDIK, 34 nm away

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 12, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 MB in all.