- Date
- October 4, 2018, 14:05 local (18:05 UTC)
- Place
- Myakka City, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9855BChampion 7FC
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20181004019439A
- Case key
- 98414
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 clearance from an obstacle 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 reported that he had been working at an off-airport site installing concrete columns and then departed from the site in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. During takeoff from the field, he turned to avoid trees at the end of the field and impacted a concrete column. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. He stated he had experience taking off on grass, but he had not left enough room to gain sufficient altitude for obstacle clearance.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported he had been working at an off-airport site installing concrete columns and was departing from the site in the tailwheel-equipped accident airplane. During takeoff from the field, he turned to avoid trees at the end of the field and impacted a concrete column. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed the right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. He stated he had experience taking off on grass, but he had not left enough room to gain sufficient altitude for obstacle clearance.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9855B
- Reported as
- Champion 7FC (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7FC-349
- Built
- 1959
- Airframe hours
- 6,100
- Engine
- Cmi O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 13, 2018
- Departed
- Myakka City, FL
- Destination
- X05 · Spring Hill, FL
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 44
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 24, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 745 total · 52 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KSRQ, 22 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 10, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 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.