No fatalities

Sport Pilot Loses Directional Control During Soft Field Takeoff

Cambridge, MD, United States

On March 19, 2015, a COSTRUZIONI AERONAUTICHE TECNA P92 EAGLET NO SERIES operated by Chesapeake Sport Pilot was involved in an aviation accident near Cambridge, MD. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1785761257Data APIEditorial standards

During a cross-country flight, a sport pilot attempting a soft field takeoff lost directional control, causing the airplane to depart the runway and sustain substantial damage to the right wing spar.

Accident Overview

A sport pilot experienced a loss of directional control during a soft field takeoff at an intermediate stop on a cross-country flight. The incident resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft.

Sequence of Events

According to the pilot, the accident occurred during a soft field takeoff attempt. After applying full power, the pilot pulled the flight controls fully aft. This caused the nose to pitch up, obstructing forward vision. The airplane began drifting left, and the pilot subsequently lost directional control. The aircraft departed the left side of the runway, rolled downward into a ditch, and came to rest after the propeller struck the ground.

Aircraft Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the right wing spar. No other damage is specified.

Pilot and Weather Conditions

The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Winds were calm at the time of the accident.

Comments

No other details are available from the source.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome