- Date
- November 5, 2016, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Davis, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6703LBeech 76
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20161105019089A
- Case key
- 94342
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 directional control during a simulated left engine failure during takeoff. Also causal to the accident was the flight instructor's delayed remedial action to maintain directional control and reduce the right engine mixture control.
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 flight instructor in the multi-engine airplane reported that during a biennial flight review the pilot released the brakes and added full power for takeoff. The flight instructor further reported that during the takeoff roll he utilized the left engine mixture control to simulate a left engine failure, but the pilot "froze" at the flight controls and the airplane veered to the left. The flight instructor attempted to fail the right engine via the right mixture control in order to regain directional control, but his hand came off the mixture control and the airplane exited the runway. During the runway excursion, the flight instructor "finally got [his] hand back on the right mixture and pulled it to idle cut-off"; subsequently, the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor in the multi-engine airplane reported that during a biennial flight review the pilot released the brakes and added full power for takeoff. The flight instructor further reported that during the takeoff roll he utilized the left engine mixture control to simulate a left engine failure, but the pilot "froze" at the flight controls and the airplane veered to the left. The flight instructor attempted to fail the right engine via the right mixture control in order to regain directional control, but his hand came off the mixture control and the airplane exited the runway. During the runway excursion, the flight instructor "finally got [his] hand back on the right mixture and pulled it to idle cut-off"; subsequently, the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6703L
- Reported as
- Beech 76 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- ME-288
- Built
- 1979
- Engines
- Lycoming LO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- WiStratus Aviation, doing business as Wings Flight School
- Registered owner
- Skyking Aviation Services LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · November 3, 2016
- Departed
- VCB · Vacaville, CA
- Destination
- VCB · Vacaville, CA
- Airport
- DWA · Yolo County, runway 34, 6,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 14,250 total · 180 in this make and model · 12,500 as pilot in command · 135 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KEDU, 4 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 7, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.