- Date
- March 23, 2013, 11:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Fullerton, CA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7497YPiper PA-30
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 18, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminstration
- FAA report
- 20130323004979A
- Case key
- 86504
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 receiving instruction’s failure to maintain airplane control during takeoff and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Findings · 4
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
According to the flight instructor, the pilot receiving instruction was seated in the left seat and manipulating the flight controls during the takeoff. As the airplane became airborne, it yawed left. The instructor intervened and aborted the takeoff. However, before the airplane landed again, the left wing impacted the airport windsock on the north side of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing’s leading edge. The instructor reported no mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor, the pilot receiving instruction was seated in the left seat and manipulating the flight controls during takeoff. As the airplane rotated and became airborne, it yawed left. The instructor intervened and aborted the takeoff. Before the airplane landed, the left wing impacted the airport windsock located on the north side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the leading edge of the left wing. The instructor reported no mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7497Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-30
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30-559
- Airframe hours
- 5,500
- Engines
- Lycoming IO-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hess, Drew C, doing business as Fun Outside
- Registered owner
- Hess, Drew C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 15, 2012 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- FUL · Fullerton, CA
- Destination
- FUL · Fullerton, CA
- Airport
- FUL · Fullerton Municipal Airport, runway 06, 3,121 × 75 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 14, 2011
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,500 total · 125 in this make and model · 8,132 as pilot in command · 258 in the last 90 days · 85 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- FUL
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 6, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB 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 N7497Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.