The pilot's inadequate compensation for the existing wind conditions and his subsequent failure to maintain runway alignment during the takeoff roll.
— NTSB Determination
The pilot reported that on the takeoff roll, a forceful gust of wind from the northwest hit the aircraft and produced a momentary lifting of the aircraft from the runway and yawed it to the left. The pilot stated that he cut the power and the aircraft settled onto a soft shoulder where the nose wheel dug in and broke off. The propeller struck sand and the engine stopped. The pilot reported winds were variable from 230 to 250 degrees at 10 to 15 knots.
The pilot reported that on the takeoff roll, a forceful gust of wind from the northwest hit the aircraft and produced a momentary lifting of the aircraft from the runway and yawed it to the left. The pilot stated that he cut the power and the aircraft settled onto a soft shoulder where the nose wheel dug in and broke…
The accident on 1997-08-10 involved a Aerospatiale TB-20, registration N577JL, operated by Van Nuys Flight Center, Inc., at Borrego, CA.
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the existing wind conditions and his subsequent failure to maintain runway alignment during the takeoff roll.
Loading the flight search…