- Date
- May 7, 2016, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Yucca Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6566RBeech C23
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160507025079I
- Case key
- 93143
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 attain airspeed and a positive rate of climb during takeoff in gusty wind conditions, resulting in a loss of directional control, an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain.
Findings · 6
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 student pilot, during the takeoff on runway 24, the wind was variable at 10 knots. He reported that he departed runway 24 and as the airplane began to climb, "a sudden crosswind gust" made the airplane drift to the right of the runway centerline. He reported that the flight controls became unresponsive, the airplane descended and the left wing struck the ground, then the right wing struck the ground. The airplane was resting on a sand berm, and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. A post-accident inspection by an NTSB Air Safety Investigator revealed that there were no flight control anomalies. The nearest weather reporting station, 19 miles south of the accident site, at the time of the accident reported that the wind was from 330 degrees true at 12 knots gusting to 18 knots. Furthermore the wind direction was variable from 310 degrees true to 020 degrees true. A postaccident examination of the flight controls showed no anomalies.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, during the takeoff on runway 24, the wind was variable at 10 knots. He reported that he departed runway 24 and as the airplane began to climb, "a sudden crosswind gust" made the airplane drift to the right of the runway centerline. He reported that the flight controls became unresponsive, the airplane descended and the left wing struck the ground, then the right wing struck the ground. The airplane was resting on a sand berm, and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. A post-accident inspection by an NTSB Air Safety Investigator revealed that there were no flight control anomalies. The nearest weather reporting station, 19 miles south of the accident site, at the time of the accident reported that the wind was from 330 degrees true at 12 knots gusting to 18 knots. Furthermore the wind direction was variable from 310 degrees true to 020 degrees true. A post-accident examination of the flight controls showed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6566R
- Reported as
- Beech C23 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-1593
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 3,527
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4J, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 5, 2016
- Departed
- L22 · Yucca Valley, CA
- Destination
- L22 · Yucca Valley, CA
- Airport
- L22 · Yucca Valley, runway 24, 4,363 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Handheld GPS
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 20.7 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- KPSP, 19 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 18, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.
Other investigations on N6566R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.