- Date
- September 1, 2015, 09:53 local (16:53 UTC)
- Place
- Truckee, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N786ABJoe Salomone Super CUB SQ2
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 91901
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 loss of directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a runway excursion, ground loop, and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience from the back seat.
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 of the tailwheel equipped, tandem cockpit airplane, who was sitting in the rear seat, reported that during the takeoff roll, the airplane veered off the left side of the runway and ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he did not have any experience piloting a tailwheel equipped airplane from the rear seat and he could not see the instruments with the passenger seated in the front seat.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped, tandem cockpit airplane, who was sitting in the rear seat, reported that during the takeoff roll, the airplane veered off the left side of the runway and ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he did not have any experience piloting a tailwheel equipped airplane from the rear seat and he could not see the instruments with the passenger seated in the front seat.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N786AB
- Reported as
- Joe Salomone Super CUB SQ2 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- TCQ1211086
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 147
- Engine
- Continental IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · August 4, 2015
- Departed
- TRK · Truckee, CA
- Destination
- TRK · Truckee, CA
- Airport
- TRK · Truckee-Tahoe, runway 29, 7,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 19, 2013
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 5,600 total · 700 in this make and model · 5,400 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KTRK
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 24, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 861 KB in all.
Other investigations on N786AB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.