- Date
- February 14, 2017, 11:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Beckwourth, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N425RSBeech A23
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170214006109A
- Case key
- 94747
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 student pilot’s inadvertent use of the control yoke to correct for a drift and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
Findings · 5
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 solo student pilot reported that he had not flown for 45 days before the accident due to inclement weather. He added that, during the touch-and-go takeoff roll, the airplane drifted to the left. He further added that he attempted to correct for the drift by using the control yoke instead of the rudder. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a snow bank on the south side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that, he had not flown for 45 days prior to the accident, due to inclement weather. He added that, during the touch-and-go takeoff roll, the airplane drifted to the left. He further added that, he attempted to correct for the drift by using the control yoke instead of the rudder. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a snow bank on the south side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N425RS
- Reported as
- Beech A23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-718
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 2,986.64
- Engine
- Continental IO-346A, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- 4 Day Fliers LLC.
- Registered owner
- 4 Day Fliers LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2016
- Departed
- O02 · Beckwourth, CA
- Destination
- O02 · Beckwourth, CA
- Airport
- O02 · Nervino, runway 26, 4,651 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 56
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 25 total · 23 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Observed at
- RAA, 24 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 27, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 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.