- Date
- June 17, 2006, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Parma, NY
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N50VSTaylorcraft DC-65
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Rochester
- FAA report
- 20060617022279A
- Case key
- 63925
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
An uncontrolled descent into trees and terrain after takeoff for undetermined reasons.
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 airplane collided with trees shortly after takeoff. The pilot stated that after a "normal" ground roll and initial climb, the airplane "started to lose airspeed and rate-of-climb," and that he was "unable to maintain altitude at full throttle." The pilot reported that he did not hear any unusual engine noises. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or engine were evident. According to weight and balance calculations, the airplane was approximately 66 pounds over the maximum allowable gross weight for the airplane, which was 1,250 pounds. The calculated density altitude at the time of the accident was 2,300 feet.
Factual narrative
The 1942 Taylorcraft DC-65 airplane collided with trees shortly after takeoff. The pilot stated that after a "normal" ground roll and initial climb, the airplane "started to lose airspeed and rate-of-climb," and that he was "unable to maintain altitude at full throttle." The pilot reported that he did not hear any unusual engine noises. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or engine were evident. According to weight and balance calculations, the airplane was approximately 66 pounds over the maximum allowable gross weight for the airplane, which was 1,250 pounds. The calculated density altitude at the time of the accident was 2,300 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N50VS
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft DC-65
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6159
- Airframe hours
- 1,788
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2006 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- 7NK4 · Spencerport, NY
- Airport
- 7NK4 · Ridge Road West Airport, runway 18, 1,800 × 45 ft, grass/turf
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
- 49
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2006
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,006 total · 18 in this make and model · 877 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KROC, 9 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.