- Date
- June 29, 2008, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Elk River, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N83056Aeronca 7DC
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080629840539A
- Case key
- 68337
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.
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 was attempting to take off from a gravel runway that was lined on both sides with tall grass. During the takeoff roll, the airplane drifted to the left into the grass, and the pilot corrected his course back toward the runway. The airplane then drifted into the grass on the right side, hit a wire fence and a dirt berm, and nosed over. The pilot said that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the attempted takeoff.
Factual narrative
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he attempted to take off at a private airfield. The gravel runway was lined on both sides with tall grass. During the takeoff roll, the airplane drifted to the left into the grass, and the pilot attempted to correct course. The airplane drifted into the grass on the right side, hit a wire fence and a dirt berm, and nosed over. The pilot indicated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N83056
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7DC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-1712
- Airframe hours
- 6,320
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dewpoint Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Dewpoint Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2008
- Departed
- Elk River, ID
- Destination
- KDEW · Deer Park, WA
- Airport
- NONE · Private airport, runway 35, 3,000 × 60 ft, gravel
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
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2007
- Flight hours
- 1,998 total · 119 in this make and model · 26 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Observed at
- PUW, 39 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.