- Date
- February 18, 2013, 10:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Okeechobee, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6249DCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 24, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130218001449A
- Case key
- 86241
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 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 engaged one notch of flaps and applied brakes and full power to initiate a short-field takeoff from a dirt road. Shortly after takeoff, a gust of wind struck the airplane, and the airplane subsequently turned left. The airplane’s nose impacted a barbed wire fence, the right wing struck a tree, and the airplane flipped inverted into a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, they were departing a dirt road with open field to the right and barbed wire fence to the left. The pilot engaged one notch of flaps and applied brakes to initiate a short-field takeoff. After leaving the ground, a gust of wind struck the airplane and it subsequently turned to the left. The pilot applied aileron correction; however, the airplane nose impacted a barbed wire fence, the right wing struck a tree and the airplane flipped inverted into a ditch before coming to rest resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6249D
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272664
- Airframe hours
- 7,721
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Reef Flyer LLC
- Registered owner
- Reef Flyer LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 7, 2013 · 43 hours before
- Departed
- None · Okeechobee, FL
- Destination
- PMP · Pompano Beach, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- None · None
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
- 25
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 31, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 617 total · 321 in this make and model · 569 as pilot in command · 118 in the last 90 days · 64 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.35 inHg
- Observed at
- OBE, 12 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 11, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.1 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.