On October 6, 1997, a Cessna 120 (registration N1856N) was involved in an aviation accident near Prince George, VA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in an inadequate climb gradient and a subsequent aborted takeoff that led to the airplane nosing over. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A private pilot attempted a local flight from a grass strip but aborted the takeoff after climbing only four feet, resulting in a nose-over accident.
What happened
A private pilot departed from a private grass strip for a local flight. As the airplane rotated approximately 1000 to 1200 feet down the runway, it climbed to only 4 feet above the ground. After continuing down the runway for another 400 to 500 feet, the pilot elected to reduce power and abort the takeoff. The airplane touched down on loose dirt, nosed over, and came to rest inverted.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the takeoff performance and the subsequent abort decision. The aircraft failed to achieve a safe climb gradient during the initial phase of departure.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in an inadequate climb gradient and a subsequent aborted takeoff that led to the airplane nosing over.