- Date
- June 12, 2009, 07:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Polacca, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7979TCessna 175A
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090612010649A
- Case key
- 74030
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 adequately estimate the required distance to avoid obstructions while taking off from a road.
Findings · 2
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
After making a precautionary landing on a two-lane highway and adding oil to the airplane’s engine, the pilot attempted to take off from the highway. The local police provided vehicle traffic control and blocked off the amount of highway the pilot estimated that he would need for the takeoff. According to the pilot’s report, he was reaching takeoff speed when he realized that he would not be airborne in time to clear a police vehicle. He altered his takeoff ground roll to the right in an attempt to avoid the vehicle. The right wing of the airplane impacted a highway sign, and the airplane continued off the highway to the right and down an embankment. It nosed over and came to rest inverted, resulting in structural damage to the wings and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or its engine during the takeoff attempt.
Factual narrative
After making a precautionary landing on a two-lane highway and adding oil to the airplane’s engine, the pilot attempted to takeoff from the highway. The local police provided vehicle traffic control and blocked off the amount of highway the pilot estimated he would need for the takeoff. According to the pilot’s report, he was reaching takeoff speed when he realized he would not be airborne in time to clear a police vehicle. He altered his takeoff ground roll to the right in an attempt to avoid the vehicle. The right wing of the airplane impacted a highway sign. The airplane continued off the highway to the right and down an embankment. It nosed over and came to rest inverted, resulting in structural damage to the wings and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or its engine during the takeoff attempt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7979T
- Reported as
- Cessna 175A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 56679
- Airframe hours
- 2,387
- Engine
- Cont Motor GO-300 SERIES, 175 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James H. Ivy III
- Registered owner
- Knowles Carole M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 15, 2008 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- P23 · Seligman, AZ
- Destination
- KSKX · Taos, NM
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 24, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 460 total · 48 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 8, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 425 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.