Ex-military pilot loses control during takeoff in conventional gear aircraft (N8088A)

What happened

The aircraft swerved off the runway during the takeoff phase. The pilot, a retired member of the military who had left service in 1965, had recently flown a tricycle gear aircraft through an aero club check-out on August 28, 1982. He subsequently spent 72 hours flying exclusively in tricycle gear aircraft. The pilot stated that he had not flown conventional gear aircraft since the 1950s. There was no record of any recent dual instruction or practice in conventional gear aircraft.

The investigation

The investigation examined the pilot's flight history and recent training records. It was found that the pilot had no recent experience with conventional gear aircraft and had not received any dual instruction or practice in such aircraft prior to the accident.

Findings

Contributing factors included the pilot's lack of recent experience with conventional gear aircraft and the absence of recent dual instruction or practice in such aircraft.