- Date
- April 20, 2021, 11:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Maricopa, AZ · Airport Environment
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N284NDDavis Donald M Bushby Mustang II
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210420005249A
- Case key
- 102957
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 airplane control during takeoff with a quartering right tailwind.
Findings · 3
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, crosswind conditions existed when he began the takeoff roll in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. After reaching takeoff speed, the airplane began to veer left of the centerline. He applied right rudder control inputs, but the airplane would not return to the center of the runway. He applied aft elevator control and the airplane became airborne, but the airplane settled back down on the right wing, followed by the left wing, then struck the runway surface and the airplane spun around. The airplane came to rest at the midfield taxiway intersection, after travelling about 200 ft along the ground. The wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction which would have precluded normal operation. A review of weather information indicated that the airplane likely departed with a quartering right tailwind.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N284ND
- Reported as
- Davis Donald M Bushby Mustang II
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MII 601
- Built
- 1982
- Airframe hours
- 479
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 E2D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · March 18, 2021 · 20 hours before
- Airport
- A39 · Ak-Chin Rgnl, runway 04/22, 4,751 × 50 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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 22, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 700 total · 40 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Observed at
- KCGZ, 8 nm away
- METAR
- KCGZ 201856Z AUTO 17008KT 130V230 10SM CLR 31/M11 RMK AO2 SLPNO T03061106 $
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.