- Date
- April 23, 2020, 09:25 local (14:25 UTC)
- Place
- Independence, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N24DEVans RV 3
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration; FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200423002179A
- Case key
- 101194
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 a high-speed taxi with a quartering tailwind, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a fence and terrain.
Findings · 5
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 pilot practiced taxiing the airplane for about 1/2 hour before he attempted a takeoff and landing. After landing, he decided to practice a runway "speed up and down" to become more comfortable with engine settings. During the first "runup," he applied "very light throttle input," but the engine power increased "very fast." The airplane suddenly turned left, and the left wing dropped close to the ground with the airplane between about 35 and 40 mph. The pilot applied right rudder and changed the engine power but was unable to gain control of the airplane. The airplane veered left off the runway, went up an incline, struck the airport perimeter fence, and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. A quartering tailwind prevailed at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot practiced taxing the airplane for about a ½ hour before he attempted a takeoff and landing. After landing, he decided to practice a runway "speed up and down" to become more comfortable with engine settings. During the first "runup", he applied "very light throttle input," but the engine increased in power "very fast." The airplane made a sudden left turn, and the left wing dropped close to the ground at a speed of about 35 - 40 mph. The pilot was unable to regain control of the airplane with applications of right rudder and changes of engine power. The airplane veered off the runway, up an incline, struck the airport perimeter fence, and impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. A quartering tailwind prevailed at the time of the accident. There were no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal airplane operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N24DE
- Reported as
- Vans RV 3 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 386
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D-2, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pilot
- Registered owner
- Individual
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · March 19, 2019
- Departed
- IIB · Independence, IA
- Destination
- IIB · Independence, IA
- Airport
- IIB · Independence Municipal Airport, runway 36, 5,500 × 100 ft, concrete
- 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 16, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,057 total · 3 in this make and model · 1,032 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.68 inHg
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.