- Date
- October 20, 2001, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Farmville, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N43529Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20011020031889A
- Case key
- 53695
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 CFI's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff. A factor in the accident was the CFI's decision to conduct the flight from the airplane's right seat, which was not equipped with 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 certified flight instructor (CFI) intended to fly to a local grass strip to provide the private pilot with tail-wheel aircraft instruction. During the takeoff roll, the CFI lost directional control of the airplane and elected to allow the airplane to depart the right side of the runway and slow down in the grass. However, the airplane struck a ditch and flipped over, which damaged the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The CFI did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane and he further stated that wind at the time of the accident was light and variable. Additionally, the CFI was seated in the airplane's right front seat, and airplane was equipped with "foot brakes" at the left front seat pilot station only.
Factual narrative
On October 20, 2001, about 1530 eastern daylight time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D, N43529, was substantially damaged during takeoff from the Farmville Regional Airport, Farmville, Virginia. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and private pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The airplane was departing runway 21, a 4,400-foot long, 75-foot wide, asphalt runway.
The CFI stated he performed the takeoff, and intended to fly to a local grass strip to provide the private pilot with tail-wheel aircraft instruction. The CFI said he "lost directional control" of the airplane during the takeoff roll, and he elected to allow the airplane to depart the right side of the runway and slow down in the grass. However, the airplane struck a ditch and flipped over, which damaged the vertical stabilizer and rudder.
The CFI did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane and he further stated that wind at the time of the accident was light and variable. Additionally, the CFI was seated in the airplane's right front seat, and airplane was equipped with "foot-brakes" at the left front seat pilot station only.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43529
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7208
- Engine
- Continental AC-65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Vernon Francisco
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2000
- Departed
- FVX · Farmville, VA
- Airport
- FVX · Farmville Muni, runway 21, 4,400 × 75 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- September 24, 2000
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,100 total · 20 in this make and model · 7,819 as pilot in command · 127 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- September 30, 2000
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 265 total · 1 in this make and model · 140 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- CHO, 47 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.
Other investigations on N43529 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.