- Date
- April 18, 2018, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Weipee, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N40170Ayres S2R
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180418016859I
- Case key
- 97152
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 the takeoff roll.
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 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector, the pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane initiated a takeoff roll to perform an agricultural application flight. During the takeoff roll on the gravel airstrip, the airplane exited the right side of the runway and collided with a drainage culvert. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar. The FAA inspector did not travel to the accident site.
Factual narrative
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aviation Safety Inspector, the pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane initiated a takeoff roll to perform an agricultural application flight. During the takeoff roll on the gravel airstrip, the airplane exited the right side of the runway and collided with a drainage culvert. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar. Despite multiple attempts to contact the pilot by telephone and email, the pilot failed to contact the National Transportation Safety Board Investigator-in-charge. The FAA Inspector did not travel to the accident site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40170
- Reported as
- Ayres S2R (T15)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T15-005
- Built
- 1979
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-60A, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Moro Aircraft Leasing Inc
- Registered owner
- Moro Aircraft Leasing Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- PVT · Weipee, ID
- Destination
- PVT · Weipee, ID
- Airport
- PVT · Private Airstrip
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 25,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 4 knots
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KP69, 4 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 189 KB 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.