- Date
- July 25, 2012, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Albion, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N53953Fairchild M-62A
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA Rodchetster FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120725015429A
- Case key
- 84533
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 while taking off in gusting wind conditions.
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 shortly after takeoff the airplane veered to the left due to a gust of wind. The pilot attempted to realign the airplane with the runway centerline but was unsuccessful and landed in a soybean field. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the airplane firewall and engine mounts. The pilot reported a quartering tailwind about the time of the accident. The examination showed no evidence of preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane, and the pilot did not report any.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that shortly after takeoff the airplane veered to the left due to a gust of wind. The pilot attempted to realign the airplane with the runway centerline, but was unsuccessful and collided in a soybean field. The pilot reported a quartering tailwind about the time of the accident. Meteorological reports from a nearby airport indicated winds out of 210 degrees at 6 knots roughly 6 minutes prior to the accident. Post-accident examination revealed substantial damage to the airplane firewall and engine mounts. The examination showed no evidence of preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane, and the pilot did not report any.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53953
- Reported as
- Fairchild M-62A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T41-1342
- Airframe hours
- 1,865
- Engine
- Fairchild 6-440 SERIES, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 5, 2011
- Departed
- 9G6 · Albion, NY
- Destination
- 9G6 · Albion, NY
- Airport
- 9G6 · Pine Hill Airport, runway 28, 2,659 × 36 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
- 77
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 30, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 414 total · 82 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 221° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KBUF, 25 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 7, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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.
Other investigations on N53953 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.