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Soft field takeoff goes awry for student pilot

By NTSB · September 26, 2014 ·

Aircraft: Jabiru Sport. Injuries: 1 Serious. Location: Goshen, Ind. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.

What reportedly happened: The student pilot was attempting a soft-field takeoff, and as soon as the nose wheel lifted off the runway, the airplane veered to the left.

The student pilot tried to correct the left turn by applying right rudder and aileron but was unsuccessful.

The airplane went off the runway and came to rest, nose down on a parallel taxiway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine nose wheel area, both wings, and the fuselage.

Probable cause: The student pilot’s loss of directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion.

NTSB Identification: CEN12CA663

This August 2012 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

About NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in the other modes of transportation, including railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space. It determines the probable causes of accidents and issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.

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Comments

  1. Ron Raty says

    September 29, 2014 at 10:18 am

    Assuming the left wheel dug in to the soft surface, what would the proper take off procedure be to avoid this?

    I used to live in Alaska, and I don’t recall seeing any tricycle bush planes. Maybe this is why.

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