- Date
- August 19, 2015, 15:07 local (22:07 UTC)
- Place
- The Dalles, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1010FAero Commander 500 B
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Runway incursion veh/AC/person
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 17, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150819014039A
- Case key
- 91991
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
A motor vehicle's runway incursion causing the premature rotation of the departing airplane, which resulted in a tail strike.
Findings · 1
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
According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll, a vehicle entered the runway and he immediately pulled back on the yoke in order to climb and avoid the vehicle. The pilot reported that as the airplane began to rotate, he simultaneously retracted the landing gear, and he felt a "bump" before the airplane lifted off of the runway. The airplane ascended over the incursion vehicle and the pilot avoided a collision. The pilot reported that during the post-flight inspection he checked the landing gear to inspect for damage and he did not find any deficiencies. However, during a subsequent preflight inspection by another crew, it was noticed that the lower aft fuselage was damaged. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the bottom aft fuselage longerons and stringers. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll, a vehicle entered the runway and he immediately pulled back on the yoke in order to climb and avoid the vehicle. The pilot reported that as the airplane began to rotate, he simultaneously retracted the landing gear, and he felt a "bump" before the airplane lifted off of the runway. The airplane ascended over the incursion vehicle and the pilot avoided a collision. The pilot reported that during the post-flight inspection he checked the landing gear to inspect for damage and he did not find any deficiencies. However, during a subsequent preflight inspection by another crew, it was noticed that the lower aft fuselage was damaged. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the bottom aft fuselage longerons and stringers. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1010F
- Reported as
- Aero Commander 500 B (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1403-145
- Built
- 1964
- Airframe hours
- 9,552.6
- Engines
- Lycoming IO-540-E1B5, 290 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO-540-E1B5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Firefighting · Public use
- Operator
- Vanarsdale Air Service LLC
- Registered owner
- Vanarsdale Air Service LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 20, 2015 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- DLS · The Dalles, OR
- Destination
- DLS · The Dalles, OR
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- DLS · Columbia Gorge Rgnl/The Dalles, runway 31, 5,097 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Auto-pilot
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 16, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 7,210 total · 611 in this make and model · 6,934 as pilot in command · 191 in the last 90 days · 78 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.73 inHg
- Observed at
- KDLS
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 14, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.