- Date
- June 9, 1991, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Montague, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4WWeaver WACO-ASO
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910609020489A
- Case key
- 27242
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane and improper use of the brakes.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The certificated pilot and one passenger were departing the airport following a refueling stop on a cross country flight from a vintage airplane show. During the takeoff roll, the pilot reported that the airplane developed a vibration in the tailwheel. The airplane drifted off the left side of the runway and the pilot attempted to correct with right rudder and right brake. The pilot applied power and the airplane became airborne momentarily. The airplane then settled and the right wheel contacted the runway surface with the brake locked. The airplane swerved to the right, the left landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded off the right side of the runway and nosed over. A witness reported hearing scraping and squeaking noises emanating from the airplane prior to takeoff and mentioned it to the pilot. The pilot replied that he had 'soft brakes' in the past. The pilot also reported that the tailwheel bearing was found shattered but this had occurred during the initial trip to the vintage airshow.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4W
- Reported as
- Weaver WACO-ASO
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3101
- Airframe hours
- 7,533
- Engine
- Continental W670-6A, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Willard Detour
- Registered owner
- Willard Detour
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 20, 1990 · 34 hours before
- Destination
- 61S · Cottage Grove, OR
- Airport
- 105 · Montague, runway 32, 3,360 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 71
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 2,819 total · 1,198 in this make and model · 2,551 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- S1Y, 5 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.