- Date
- March 4, 2012, 08:29 local (13:29 UTC)
- Place
- Beverly, MA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7DFAmerican Champion 8KCAB
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120304002689A
- Case key
- 83087
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 loss of airplane control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion.
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
According to the pilot, he did not align the tailwheel-equipped airplane with the runway before applying power. During the takeoff roll, the airplane drifted off the side of the runway and nosed down. A postaccident examination revealed that the airplane had sustained substantial damage to the fuselage in the vicinity of the right main landing gear attachment point. The pilot did not report any mechanical abnormalities of the airplane. The pilot had recently received a tailwheel endorsement.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he did not align the airplane with the runway prior to applying power. Then, during the takeoff roll, the airplane drifted off the side of the runway, became airborne, impacted the grass area near the runway, and came to rest in a nose down attitude. A postaccident examination revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage in the vicinity of the right main landing gear attachment point. The pilot did not report any mechanical abnormalities of the airplane to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector. The pilot had recently received a tailwheel endorsement.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7DF
- Reported as
- American Champion 8KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1055-2007
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-H1B, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Departed
- BVY · Beverly, MA
- Destination
- BVY · Beverly, MA
- Airport
- BVY · Beverly Municipal Airport, runway 27, 4,755 × 100 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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- June 30, 2005
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,200 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.65 inHg
- Observed at
- BVY
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 20, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 MB 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.