- Date
- June 26, 2010, 20:00 local (Jun 27, 2010, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Smiley Creek, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N51MWCornett Steven M Glastar
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100626037539A
- Case key
- 76537
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 decision to not use all available runway length and his delay in aborting the takeoff, which resulted in the airplane sliding off the end of the grass strip and colliding with a ditch.
Findings · 5
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 had been landing and departing from the grass strip numerous times earlier in the day. For the accident flight, he was attempting to perform a midfield takeoff. During the departure roll, the airplane momentarily became airborne and then settled back into the wet grass and slowed. He opted to immediately abort the takeoff by retarding the throttle control and applying brakes. The airplane then slid off the end of the grass strip and collided with a ditch, incurring damage to the right wing and tail. The pilot reported no pre impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he had been landing and departing from the grass strip numerous times earlier in the day. For the accident flight, he was attempting to perform a midfield takeoff. During the departure roll, the airplane momentarily became airborne and then settled back into the wet grass and slowed. He opted to immediately abort the takeoff by retarding the throttle control and applying brakes. The airplane slid off the end of the grass strip and collided with a ditch, incurring damage to the right wing and tail. The pilot reported no pre impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51MW
- Reported as
- Cornett Steven M Glastar
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 5586
- Airframe hours
- 498
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Beery Douglas W
- Registered owner
- Beery Douglas W
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · March 3, 2010 · 111 hours before
- Departed
- U87 · Smiley Creek, ID
- Destination
- U87 · Smiley Creek, ID
- Airport
- U87 · Smiley Creek, runway 14, 4,900 × 150 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
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 16, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 510 total · 96 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KSNT, 16 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 19, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 298 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.