No fatalities

17 Oct 2010: BOEING PT17 — Carl Bailey — Fayetteville, WV

Fayetteville, WV, United States

On 17 Oct 2010, a BOEING PT17 operated by Carl Bailey was involved in an aviation accident near Fayetteville, WV. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll. This summary draws on records from NTSB.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A tailwheel-equipped airplane veered right during takeoff, struck a runway light, then cleared a fence but hit a dirt pile in a grass area, causing substantial damage to the left wing. No mechanical anomalies reported.

Accident Details

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the takeoff roll on a 2,010-foot-long by 20-foot-wide asphalt runway, the airplane unexpectedly veered to the right after he applied power. Attempting to correct the deviation, the pilot stated that he overcorrected with rudder input, causing the airplane to impact a runway light. He then reduced engine power in an effort to regain control.

Attempt to Regain Control

After striking the runway light, the pilot applied engine power again to clear a fence located at the end of the runway. The airplane subsequently landed in a grass area beyond the fence. During this landing, the airplane struck a pile of dirt, resulting in substantial damage to the bottom of the left wing.

Mechanical Status

The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the event. The accident sequence was attributed entirely to the pilot's control inputs.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot