Accident Overview
On February 4, 2009, at approximately 0852 Pacific standard time, a Douglas DC-3/65AR, registration N834TP, collided with terrain during takeoff at Mojave, California. The aircraft was operated by the National Test Pilot School under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a local instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Flight Sequence
The student pilot was performing the takeoff. During the ground roll, the airplane began to drift to the right. The student applied left rudder to correct the drift. The certified flight instructor (CFI) advanced the right throttle in an attempt to counteract the right yaw. The tail wheel lifted off the ground at about 80 knots, and the airplane swerved to the right. The CFI applied left rudder to stop the yaw and drift. As the airplane was about to depart the runway, the pilots did not reduce throttle or apply brakes, believing it would be safer to attempt to become airborne.
Collision and Damage
The airplane slowed as it left the runway surface. It then struck a series of berms, which sheared off the left landing gear and left engine. The right landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest in a nose-down attitude. The fuselage and wings sustained substantial damage from impact forces. Neither the CFI nor the student pilot were injured.
Rudder Trim Position
The operator reported that the student pilot inadvertently set the rudder trim to the full right position when adjusting the rudder pedals during prestart checks. The rudder trim remained in the full right position for the takeoff and was found in that same position during the post-accident inspection.