Aircraft: Luscombe 8E. Injuries: 2 Minor. Location: West Bend, Wis. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to take off from a grass 1,500-foot runway. The airplane lifted off, but the pilot felt it was not climbing fast enough to clear power lines at the end of the runway, so he aborted the takeoff and made a landing in a plowed field near the departure end of the runway.
The airplane nosed over on landing.
The pilot stated the accident could have been prevented if he had waited for better wind conditions or extended the takeoff roll to gain additional airspeed.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines at the end of the short runway, which resulted in an aborted takeoff and subsequent nose-over of the airplane.
NTSB Identification: CEN13CA042
This November 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.
Interesting that the pilot’s technique was to begin a takeoff and then as the account reads “…felt it was not climbing fast enough.” A better probable cause for this accident would have read “Pilot did not adequately evaluate the take off performance limitations of the aircraft according to the airplane handbook, compute the weight/balance of the aircraft, wind conditions, runway conditions, obstacles, best climb speed (vx), and density altitude.”
Tom is right. The statement: “The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines at the end of the short runway, which resulted in an aborted takeoff and subsequent nose-over of the airplane.” is really meaningless. Actually, he did maintain his clearance. That was after he already decided that things weren’t going the way he had anticipated.