- Date
- June 19, 2017, 18:23 local (Jun 20, 2017, 01:23 UTC)
- Place
- Eugene, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N234VAVans RV-12
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170619017859A
- Case key
- 95421
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 failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
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
According to the flight school director, the student pilot was conducting stop-and-go landings during a solo flight. He added that the student pilot reported that, during takeoff, the airplane began to "fishtail," the pilot reduced power, but the airplane continued to the left, exited the runway, and impacted a taxiway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight school director reported that, according to the student pilot, there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the flight school director, the student pilot was conducting stop-and-go landings during a solo flight. He added that the student pilot reported that during takeoff, the airplane began to "fishtail," the student pilot reduced power, but the airplane continued to the left, exited the runway, and impacted a taxiway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight school director reported that, according to the student pilot there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N234VA
- Reported as
- Vans RV-12 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- S12008
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 1,051.1
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Lane Community College
- Registered owner
- Lane Community College
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 6, 2017
- Departed
- EUG · Eugene, OR
- Destination
- EUG · Eugene, OR
- Airport
- EUG · Mahlon Sweet Field, runway 34R, 6,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Data recorder, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 20 total · 20 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KEUG
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 3, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 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.