NYC96LA042

A dual student initiated a short field takeoff on runway 28. As the airplane neared rotation speed, it encountered a large patch of ice and started to drift left. The student pilot aborted the takeoff, and directional control was recovered. When the student pilot applied rudder to return to the center of the runway, the airplane again drifted left until it was into the snow at the left edge of the runway. The airplane then nosed over onto its back. The flight instructor reported that he coached the student, but did not take control of the airplane. About 25 percent of the runway surface was reported to be covered with ice, with more ice on the first 1/3 of the runway. No evidence of a malfunction with the flight controls, wheels, or brakes was found. The wind was reported as 290 degrees at 15 knots. Runway 28 was 4242 feet long and 75 feet wide.

On December 23, 1995, at 1135 eastern standard time, a Cessna 150G, N2970J was substantially damaged during an aborted takeoff at the East Hampton Airport, East Hampton, New York. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the local instructional flight which originated at East Hampton, and which was operated under 14 CFR Part 91.

In the NTSB Accident Report, the flight instructor stated:

...We began the short field takeoff roll, and as we approached rotation speed of 60 MPH we ran over a large section of icy runway. The airplane began to slid to the left. My student elected to abort the takeoff...We were able to stop the lateral motion...but the aircraft was displaced 10-15 feet from the centerline. We attempted to correct the course with rudder inputs but the aircraft just started to slide again. The left main wheel entered the snow at the left edge of the runway ...the nose pitched forward until the spinner was snowplowing under the surface of the snow. After skidding on the nose for perhaps 20 yards, the spinner tip dug into the ground and the airplane pivoted on the spinner and flipped onto its back....

In a telephone interview, the flight instructor reported that he did not take control of the airplane during the aborted takeoff. He coached the student pilot, but did not touch the flight controls.

In a telephone interview, an FAA Safety Inspector (Operations) from the Farmingdale Flight Standards District Office report that runway was spotty with patched of snow and ice. The accumulations were heavier on the first 1/3 of the runway and covered about 25 percent of the surface. A check of the airplane by an airworthiness inspector found no problems with the wheels, brakes, or flight controls.