- Date
- January 29, 2015, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Newburg, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N36NCSchneider Richard J Alaskan Bushmaster
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 21, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20150129001169A
- Case key
- 90688
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 maintain directional control during the takeoff roll into sunlight, which restricted his visibility.
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
The pilot stated that he was taking off in a southerly direction from a narrow, tree lined airstrip. During the takeoff roll, sunlight restricted his visibility. The airplane drifted left and subsequently came into contact with numerous juvenile fir trees along the side of the runway. The contact with the trees resulted in substantial leading edge damage to both wings, and the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane or engine.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he was taking off in a southerly direction from a narrow, tree lined airstrip. During the takeoff roll, sunlight restricted his visibility. The airplane drifted left and subsequently came into contact with numerous juvenile fir trees along the side of the runway. The contact with the trees resulted in substantial leading edge damage to both wings, and the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane or engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N36NC
- Reported as
- Schneider Richard J Alaskan Bushmaster (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 0012
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 715
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-G4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sanderson Michael E
- Registered owner
- Sanderson Michael E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 20, 2014
- Departed
- 17S · Newberg, OR
- Destination
- pvt · Newberg, OR
- Airport
- PVT · Stan Jost, runway 19, 900 × 60 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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,095 total · 405 in this make and model · 65 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1.3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- KMMV, 10 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 14, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 690 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.