Cessna 150F Loss of Control During Takeoff at Bradley Sky Ranch Airport (N3569L)

Accident Overview and Flight Details On September 30, 2010, at approximately 1700 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 150F airplane, registration N3569L, sustained substantial damage following a loss of control during takeoff at Bradley Sky Ranch Airport in North Pole, Alaska. The aircraft was operating as a solo visual flight rules (VFR) instructional flight under Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The student pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was destined for Fairbanks, Alaska. No flight plan had been filed. ## Pilot Report and Sequence of Events In a written report to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the pilot stated that during the takeoff roll at approximately 50 mph, the airplane swerved to the left. He reported that rudder inputs and corrective actions were not effective, and the aircraft continued to veer hard left. During the swerve, the nose wheel dug into the dirt runway, causing the airplane to nose over. ## Damage and Postaccident Investigation The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and vertical stabilizer. A postaccident inspection by an FAA inspector from the Fairbanks, Alaska, Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) revealed that the left nose wheel steering linkage rod end was fractured. The linkage was sent to the NTSB’s Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C., for examination. A Senior Safety Board Metallurgist reported that magnified optical examination of the fracture surfaces and surrounding area revealed fracture features and deformation patterns consistent with a bending overstress separation. No indication of preexisting cracking, such as fatigue or corrosion, was noted.