- Date
- September 27, 2021, 09:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Indian Trail, NC
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1401UCessna 172M
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210927018629A
- Case key
- 104279
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 airplane control during takeoff and initial climb. Contributing was the pilot’s physical limitation which caused an inadvertent application of left rudder.
Findings · 4
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 private pilot reported that, shortly after the application of takeoff power, the airplane pulled strongly to the left while on the runway. The pilot attempted to correct with right aileron and rudder; however, shortly after rotation, the airplane climbed at an excessive pitch angle and continued to the left. The pilot lowered the nose to regain some airspeed, but the airplane impacted the ground before coming to rest against the trees bordering the runway. The pilot reported that he recently had knee replacement surgery and was unable to bend his left knee, which caused an inadvertent application of left rudder that could not be overcome during the takeoff and initial climb. This resulted in a loss of airplane control and subsequent impact. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1401U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267071
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 7,192
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Loco Panther Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Loco Panther Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 3, 2021
- Airport
- 28A · Goose Creek, runway 04/22, 2,350 × 35 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 68
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, Unknown
- Last flight review
- November 3, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 307 total · 97 in this make and model · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- EQY, 6 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KEQY 271353Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 21/15 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP214 T02110150=
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 31, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 14.4 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.