- Date
- September 26, 2006, 18:55 local (22:55 UTC)
- Place
- Garrettsville, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N985BCBoeing A75N1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Cleveland FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060926028999A
- Case key
- 64691
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 the takeoff roll. The bush and tree were factors to the accident.
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 tailwheel airplane swerved to the left during the initial takeoff roll, impacting a bush and tree before coming to rest. The pilot reported that he was departing from a private grass airstrip at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that during the takeoff roll the airplane "deviated to the left for unknown reasons." The pilot reported that "rudder inputs were unable to bring the aircraft back onto the grass runway before the left wingtip clipped a bush." The pilot stated that the airplane "continued further left, and the left wings struck a tree." The winds were reported to be calm at the time of the accident. The tailwheel assembly, brake system, and flight controls were examined and no pre-impact anomalies were found.
Factual narrative
The tailwheel airplane swerved to the left during initial takeoff roll, impacting a bush and tree before coming to rest. The pilot reported that he was departing from a private grass airstrip at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that during the takeoff roll the airplane "deviated to the left for unknown reasons." The pilot reported that "rudder inputs were unable to bring the aircraft back onto the grass runway before the left wingtip clipped a bush." The pilot stated that the airplane "continued further left, and the left wings struck a tree." The winds were reported to be calm at the time of the accident. The tailwheel assembly, brake system, and flight controls were examined and no pre-impact anomalies were found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N985BC
- Reported as
- Boeing A75N1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-6711
- Airframe hours
- 7,270
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-985-N, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2006
- Departed
- PVT · Garrettsville, OH
- Destination
- PVT
- Airport
- PVT · Private Airstrip
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2006
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 17,000 total · 168 in this make and model · 16,000 as pilot in command · 220 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- YNG, 20 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.