- Date
- July 27, 2022, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Merrill, WI · Airport Runway 7
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2240LBeech C23
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration - Milwaukee FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220727019789A
- Case key
- 106192
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 failure to maintain adequate roll control during takeoff with a quartering tailwind.
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 student pilot was conducting a zero-flap takeoff when shortly after liftoff the airplane entered an unintentional right roll that neither the student pilot nor his flight instructor could correct with full left aileron and left rudder input. The airplane continued to roll right until the right wingtip struck the ground. The nose landing gear and left main landing gear separated from the airplane during the hard landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to a fuselage longeron, the left side of the stabilator, and the right aileron. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Flight control cable continuity was confirmed for the ailerons, rudder, and stabilator. The aileron system exhibited binding due to impact-related damage to the right aileron. The airport’s weather station reported a calm wind condition about 5 minutes before the accident. However, the airport manager reported that the surface wind at the time of the accident was from the southwest at 16.5 knots, gusting 19 knots. A postaccident weather model for the airport included a west surface wind (277°) at 9 knots. Based on the wind model data, the airplane likely departed runway 7 with an 8 knot left quartering tailwind. The unintentional right roll was likely due to the student pilot not maintaining adequate roll control after liftoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2240L
- Reported as
- Beech C23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-1888
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 3,657
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- De Plane LLC
- Registered owner
- De Plane LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 14, 2022 · 75.2 hours before
- Departed
- RRL · Merrill, WI
- Destination
- RRL · Merrill, WI
- Airport
- RRL · Merrill Municipal Airport, runway 7, 5,100 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 27, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 35,000 total · 1,400 in this make and model · 34,800 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 30 total · 24 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Icing
- Clear
- Observed at
- KRRL
- METAR
- METAR KRRL 271955Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM -RA SCT032 BKN050 OVC095 20/15 A2982 RMK AO2 T01980153 TSNO=
Docket · 10
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 7, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 23.8 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.