- Date
- July 29, 2008, 17:25 local (22:25 UTC)
- Place
- Tulsa, OK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N551WNorth American P-51D
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080729841539A
- Case key
- 68575
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 aircraft control during takeoff.
Findings · 2
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 pilot began his takeoff roll on a maintenance test flight. During the ground roll and near rotation speed, the pilot moved his hand from the throttle to the gear handle. The pilot reported that the throttle friction lock was not properly set and the throttle experienced "throttle creep" reducing engine power. The pilot advanced the throttle, at which time the airplane became airborne and began to torque roll. An aborted takeoff was executed by the pilot and the airplane touched down off of the runway. The airplane came to rest after contacting the airfield perimeter fence. Substantial damage was sustained to the right wing and left horizontal stabilizer.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot began his takeoff roll on a maintenance test flight. During the ground roll and near rotation speed, the pilot moved his hand from the throttle to the gear handle. The pilot reported that the throttle friction lock was not properly set and the throttle experienced "throttle creep" reducing engine power. The pilot advanced the throttle at which time the airplane became airborne and began to torque roll. An aborted takeoff was executed by the pilot and the airplane touched down off of the runway. The airplane came to rest after contacting the airfield perimeter fence. Substantial damage was sustained to the right wing and left horizontal stabilizer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N551W
- Reported as
- North American P-51D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 109-28618
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce V-1650-7, 1,180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Latshaw Drilling & Exploration Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Limited (Special)
- Departed
- RVS · Tulsa, OK
- Destination
- Tulsa, OK
- Airport
- RVS · Richard Lloyd Jones Jr, runway 19L, 4,208 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 5,800 total · 57 in this make and model · 24 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- RVS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.