- Date
- August 23, 2006, 09:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Searcy, AR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9365EAeronca 11AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- FAA report
- 20060823018509A
- Case key
- 64371
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 inadequate compensation for the existing wind conditions and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action to maintain directional control. A contributing factor was the crosswind.
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 student pilot receiving instruction initiated the takeoff roll from the 6,000-foot long by 100-foot wide asphalt runway. The single-engine tailwheel-equipped airplane began to veer to the left. The flight instructor pilot took control of the airplane and announced to the student pilot that he had the controls. The 8,000-hour flight instructor applied full right rudder and retarded the throttle to idle in an attempt to regain directional control of the vintage airplane. The airplane then lifted-off the runway to about 3 feet of altitude and continued a left uncommanded turn for about 180 degrees prior to impacting the ground moving laterally perpendicular to the takeoff flight path. The flight instructor and the 8-hour student pilot were not injured. A Federal Aviation Administrator inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported that the landing gear collapsed and the left wing strut was destroyed. The weather the airport was reported as winds from 070 degrees at 7 knots; however, the flight instructor reported that upon exiting the aircraft, he noted that a 10 to 15 knot crosswind prevailed at the time of the mishap.
Factual narrative
The student pilot receiving instruction initiated the take-off roll from the 6,000-foot long by 100-foot wide asphalt runway. The single-engine tail wheel equipped airplane began to veer to the left. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and announced to the student pilot that he had the controls. The 8,000-hour flight instructor applied full right rudder and retarded the throttle to idle in an attempt to regain directional control of the vintage airplane. The airplane then lifted-off the runway to about 3 feet of altitude and continued a left uncommanded turn for about 180 degrees prior to impacting the ground moving laterally perpendicular to the take-off flight path. The flight instructor and the 8-hour student pilot were not injured. A Federal Aviation Administrator inspector, who responded to the accident site, reported that the landing gear collapsed and the left wing strut was destroyed. The weather the airport was reported as winds from 070 degrees at 7 knots; however, the flight instructor reported that upon exiting the aircraft, he noted that a 10 to 15 knot crosswind prevailed at the time of the mishap.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9365E
- Reported as
- Aeronca 11AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1003
- Airframe hours
- 819
- Engine
- Continental A65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Teresa Augustine
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2005
- Departed
- KSRC · Searcy, AR
- Destination
- KSRC · Searcy, AR
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2006
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 15 in this make and model · 7,030 as pilot in command · 170 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KSRC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.