- Date
- April 5, 2023, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Los Alamos, NM · KLAM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N444MGrumman G-44A
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20230405012079A
- Case key
- 107035
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 directional control during the takeoff roll, resulting in a runway excursion and ground collision.
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
Both pilots reported that during the takeoff roll, the pilot receiving instruction lost directional control of the airplane and it veered off the runway. The airplane subsequently collided with a parked unoccupied airplane. The left horizontal stabilizer and elevator sustained substantial damaged. The flight instructor reported that the airplane was not equipped with brakes at the right seat position. Both pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N444M
- Reported as
- Grumman G-44A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1411
- Built
- 1945
- Airframe hours
- 3,381.6
- Engines
- Lycoming GO-480 B1D, 270 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming GO-480 B1D, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 3, 2023 · 11.7 hours before
- Departed
- KLAM · Los Alamos, NM
- Destination
- KMEV · Minden, NM
- Airport
- KLAM · Los Alamos Airport, runway 09, 6,000 × 120 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 4, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 29,296 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 22,428 as pilot in command · 82 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight engineer, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 10, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 17,600 total · 8 in this make and model · 6,100 as pilot in command · 136 in the last 90 days · 78 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 1 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KLAM, 1 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KLAM 052115Z AUTO VRB04KT 8SM CLR 05/M17 A3002
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 17, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.8 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.