- Date
- August 20, 2011, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Smithville, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N52CHCano Dave Avid Flyer Mkiv
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110820020769A
- Case key
- 81650
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 due to his distraction by an open door.
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 pilot stated that he became distracted during the takeoff roll when the airplane's door came open. When he reached to close the door the airplane veered left and subsequently departed the runway. The airplane impacted a berm off the left side of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he became distracted during the takeoff roll when the airplane's door came open. He reached to close the door, the airplane veered left, and subsequently departed the runway. The airplane impacted a berm off the left side of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52CH
- Reported as
- Cano Dave Avid Flyer Mkiv
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1311D
- Airframe hours
- 160
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 63 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ellis Leslie H
- Registered owner
- Ellis Leslie H
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 13, 2011
- Departed
- MBT · Murfreesboro, TN
- Destination
- 0A3 · Smithville, TN
- Airport
- 0A3 · Smithville Municipal, runway 24, 4,257 × 75 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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- May 24, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 704 total · 90 in this make and model · 704 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- CSV, 35 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 18, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 790 KB 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.