On January 15, 1994, a Cessna T210L (registration N5211V) operated by Marc Rambod was involved in an aviation accident near California Valy, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE INSTRUCTOR'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a soft field takeoff practice, a training aircraft veered left off a narrow runway and struck a fence post with its left horizontal stabilizer. The instructor regained control and landed after an inflight assessment.
Incident Details
The aircraft owner, enrolled in a pilot refresher training course, stated that the flight instructor directed him to land at the airstrip to practice soft field operations. During the subsequent takeoff ground roll, the aircraft veered left off the narrow runway and collided with a metal fence post, striking the left horizontal stabilizer. The owner noted that the fence posts were located approximately 10 to 15 feet from the edge of the 40-foot-wide runway.
Instructor's Account
The flight instructor reported that because the pilot applied power slowly, he looked down to check the power level. When he looked up, the aircraft was heading off the runway to the left toward the fence posts. The instructor stated that he took control of the aircraft as it collided with a post. He then regained directional control and completed the takeoff.
Post-Incident Actions
After an inflight damage assessment, the instructor landed the aircraft at the airstrip. No further details about the extent of damage or any injuries were provided in the source.