- Date
- October 5, 2020, 08:10 local (14:10 UTC)
- Place
- Salida, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3370EAeronca 7AC
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20201005020789A
- Case key
- 102092
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 loss of directional control during takeoff and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a steel object.
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 on board stated that the student was performing the takeoff. As the airplane accelerated down the runway, it began to drift to the right. The instructor attempted to correct with left rudder and left brake, but the airplane still exited the runway to the right. While exiting the runway, the student attempted to takeoff and the instructor overrode the student’s actions to keep the airplane on the ground. During the aborted takeoff, the airplane impacted a steel-constructed segmented circle which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3370E
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6778
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 11,730.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O235CI, 115 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2020 · 12 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- Salida Airport Harriett Alexander Field · Kank, runway 24, 7,351 × 75 ft, asphalt
- 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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 29, 2019
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 7,026 total · 13 in this make and model · 6,793 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 27 total · 10 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.37 inHg
- Observed at
- KAEJ, 10 nm away
- METAR
- KAEJ 051355Z AUTO 32013KT 10SM CLR 12/M11 A3037 RMK AO2 T01181113
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 27, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.1 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 N3370E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.