No fatalities

14 Jul 2013: UNIVERSAL STINSON 108-1 — Mark S Erickson — Hector, MN

Hector, MN, United States
SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During takeoff roll at 50 knots, airplane drifted left. Pilot tapped right brake and added right aileron, then corrected. Right wingtip struck ground 2-3 times, airplane nosed over, damaging wing spars and vertical stabilizer. Postaccident exam found no preaccident failures.

Accident Sequence

At approximately 50 knots during the takeoff roll, the airplane began to drift to the left. The pilot reported that as the drift occurred, she inadvertently tapped the right brake and then released it while applying right aileron inputs. She then made corrections to maneuver the airplane back to the runway centerline. During these maneuvers, the right wingtip lowered and impacted the ground two or three times. The pilot continued to apply inputs to the right rudder pedal. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over. The accident resulted in substantial damage to both wing spars and the vertical stabilizer.

Pilot Statements

The pilot who was flying provided the above account. The second pilot indicated that he did not know why the airplane responded as it did. He was unsure whether there were any malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident. He estimated the wind to be from the left at 5 knots.

Postaccident Examination

A Federal Aviation Administration inspector performed a postaccident examination of the airplane. The examination revealed no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Pilot