- Date
- February 25, 2018, 13:20 local (22:20 UTC)
- Place
- Newtok, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1658UCessna 207
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180225004399A
- Case key
- 96847
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 takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to properly check that the flight controls were correctly configured before takeoff.
Findings · 4
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 pilot reported that, during a return flight, he chose to fly from the right pilot seat to allow a cargo-handler to sit in the left pilot seat. The taxi to the runway was short and required little rudder input. However, during takeoff, as he added power, he "did not seem" to have full right rudder authority, and he was unable to maintain the runway centerline. Subsequently, the airplane exited the left side of the runway, struck a small ridge, and came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The pilot further reported that, after the accident, he realized the airplane had stowable rudder pedals on the right side and that they had been placed in the "stowed" position. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during a return flight, he elected to fly from the right pilot seat, to allow a cargo-handler to sit in the left pilot seat. The taxi to the runway was short and required little rudder input. However, during takeoff, as he added power, he "did not seem" to have full right rudder authority and he was unable to maintain the runway centerline. Subsequently, the airplane exited the left side of the runway, struck a small ridge, and came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left-wing. The pilot further reported that, after the accident, he realized the airplane had stow-able rudder pedals on the right side, and that they had been placed in the "stowed" position. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1658U
- Reported as
- Cessna 207 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20700258
- Built
- 1974
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Paklook Air, doing business as Yute Commuter Service
- Registered owner
- Michael Wade Renfro
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- EWU · Newtok, AK
- Destination
- BET · Bethel, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- EWU · Newtok, runway 33, 2,202 × 35 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device
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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Foreign, Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 17, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 21,930 total · 1,800 in this make and model · 2,185 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 23 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 10 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.68 inHg
- Observed at
- PAVA, 45 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 19, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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 N1658U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.