- Date
- March 6, 2010, 17:00 local (Mar 7, 2010, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- St. Johns, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N134DDAviat A-1C-200
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 1, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100306004979A
- Case key
- 75452
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 inadequate compensation for the crosswind gusts and failure to maintain proper runway alignment during takeoff.
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
The pilot reported that he was departing to the southwest in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. He reported that shortly after liftoff the airplane encountered a gust of wind that "blew the aircraft sideways." Despite the pilot's control inputs, he was unable to recover and the airplane impacted the ground in a nose-low, right bank attitude. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that the winds at the time of the accident were from 200 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 37 knots. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane prior to the accident. He noted in his written statement that the accident could have been prevented if he had postponed the departure until wind conditions improved.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was departing to the southwest in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. He reported that shortly after liftoff the airplane encountered a gust of wind that "blew the aircraft sideways." Despite the pilot's control inputs, he was unable to recover and the airplane impacted the ground in a nose-low, right bank attitude. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that the winds at the time of the accident were from 200 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 37 knots. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane prior to the accident. He noted in his written statement that the accident could have been prevented if he had postponed the departure until wind conditions improved.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N134DD
- Reported as
- Aviat A-1C-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3015
- Airframe hours
- 120
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1D6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Travis Scott
- Registered owner
- Teaco Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 2, 2010 · 101 hours before
- Departed
- KSJN · St. Johns, AZ
- Destination
- KLRU · Las Cruces, NM
- Airport
- KSJN · St. Johns Industrial Airpark, runway 21, 3,400 × 60 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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 5, 2010
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 222 total · 41 in this make and model · 193 as pilot in command · 82 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 13 knots, gusting 37
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KSJN
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 25, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 970 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.
Other investigations on N134DD · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.