- Date
- September 15, 2002, 14:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Chetek, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9598CChristen Industries A-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-Minneapolis, Minnesota-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020915028729A
- Case key
- 55766
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 of the airplane, and his failure to maintain clearance from the utility pole. A factor was the utility pole.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane was damaged when it struck a powerline pole during takeoff from a private turf airstrip. The pilot stated that the airplane accellerated normally. He said: "At approximate time of liftoff of main wheels the aircraft for unknown reason began to drift off runway centerline to the right. Pilot attempted to correct drift with control inputs to which aircraft did not respond." The airplane's right wing subsequently impacted a powerline pole. A postaccident examination of the airplane failed to reveal any preexisting anomalies.
Factual narrative
On September 15, 2002, at 1440 central daylight time, a Christen Industries A-1, N9598C, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when it struck a powerline pole during takeoff from a private airstrip near Chetek, Wisconsin. The takeoff was being made to the north on the north-south oriented grass airstrip. The pilot and his one passenger were not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot reported that he was taking off from a private turf airstrip. He stated that the airplane accellerated normally, until, "at approximate time of liftoff of main wheels the aircraft for unknown reason began to drift off runway centerline to the right. Pilot attempted to correct drift with control inputs to which aircraft did not respond." The airplane's right wing subsequently impacted a powerline pole.
A postaccident examination of the airplane failed to reveal any preexisting anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9598C
- Reported as
- Christen Industries A-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1101
- Airframe hours
- 447
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James W. Torseth
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2002 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- Chetek, WI
- Airport
- Private, runway 36, 2,000 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- February 5, 2001
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,224 total · 108 in this make and model · 1,011 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KEAU, 36 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.