ERA21FA178

Witnesses who saw the accident airplane depart stated that it entered a 90° bank after becoming airborne. The airplane’s left wing struck the ground and the airplane cartwheeled and was consumed by a postimpact fire. The pilot told a responding law enforcement officer that he “lost it on the takeoff,” but later could not recall the accident. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation at the time of impact. It is likely that the pilot failed to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff, which resulted in impact with terrain.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 7, 2021, about 1408 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 177B airplane, N24RG, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Great Valley, New York. The pilot was seriously injured, and the pilot-rated passenger was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot, who was the owner of the accident airplane, and passenger had flown to the airport for lunch with another pilot, who had also flown his airplane into the airport. After lunch, the other pilot departed runway 24 in his airplane without incident. He stated that he had a slight tailwind on takeoff, but the wind was not strong enough to move the windsock. A witness, who was outside across the street from the runway, saw the first airplane depart. He then heard the accident airplane’s engine “rev” up. When the witness saw the airplane, it was in a 90° bank. He told a co-worker that he was concerned about the airplane, so he got in his truck and drove to the airport. When he arrived, he saw that the airplane had crashed and was engulfed in flames. Another witness, who lived adjacent to the runway, had a full view of the runway from her living room and saw the accident airplane taking off. She said that the airplane “bounced a couple times” before it became airborne. The airplane climbed to about 20 ft above the ground, then entered a “hard” left bank, and she could see the tops of both wings. The witness said the left wing impacted the ground and it “crumbled” and then the airplane “collapsed.” She stated that she watches airplanes takeoff and land all the time, and by the time they pass her home, they are already airborne. She said that she did not see or hear anything unusual with the airplane or engine before the accident, except that it was “low” and “late” taking off. A responding law enforcement officer spoke to the pilot when he arrived on-scene. The pilot had been pulled away from the airplane because it was on fire. The pilot had obvious burns to his face/hands and his left ankle was injured. His eyes were closed, but he was able to understand and respond to the officer’s questions. The officer asked the pilot what happened, and the pilot said, “I lost it on the takeoff.” The pilot did not elaborate with additional details, and by that time, other law enforcement and rescue personnel arrived and began to tend to the pilot. In a follow up interview with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector several months after the accident, the pilot said he had no recollection of the accident from the time they departed until after the accident. PILOT INFORMATION The pilot’s last FAA third class medical certificate was issued on July 24, 2015; however, he applied for and was operating under the provisions of BasicMed as of July 6, 2019. A review of the last page of the pilot’s personal flight logbook revealed that, as of March 1, 2021, he had accrued a total of 1,142.8 hours of flightexperience, and 3 hours in the 30 days preceding the accident. The pilot-rated passenger held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine. According to FAA records, the passenger’s last FAA third class medical certificate was issued on May 7, 2008, at which time he reported 2,438 total hours of flight experience. AIRPORT INFORMATION The airport was equipped with an approximate 3,800 foot-long by 90-foot-wide turf runway oriented 06/24. The field elevation was 1,450 ft mean sea level (msl). The takeoff portion of the runway was dry and free of obstructions, holes, or obstacles. WRECKAGE INFORMATION The airplane departed runway 24 and impacted the ground in a left-wing-low, nose-down attitude and cartwheeled. The airplane came to rest about 2,250 ft down and about 50 ft left of the runway. The left and right wings came to rest upright. The engine, fuselage, and tail were inverted. A post-impact fire consumed the fuselage, inboard left wing, left flap, and the outboard half of the left stabilator. All major components of the airplane were identified at the accident site. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation at the time of impact. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION Toxicology testing performed of the pilot at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was positive for ondansetron and irbesertan. Ondansetron, sometimes marketed as Zofran, is a prescription medication commonly used to treat nausea and vomiting. Multiple studies have found no significant effect of ondansetron on cognitive and psychomotor performance. Irbesertan, sometimes marketed as Avapro, is a prescription medication commonly used to treat high blood pressure/hypertension and is not considered impairing.