NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ERA10CA397
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's loss of directional control while taking off with a gusting wind.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during the takeoff ground roll, he encountered a sudden gust of wind, turning the tailwheeled airplane to the left. The pilot corrected with right rudder, but the airplane departed the runway and bounced several times before the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage and did not note any pre-impact mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The pilot also reported that there were shifting winds at the airport, and that he might have attempted to take off in a tailwind because the wind tee was frozen in one position. According to the pilot, during the takeoff ground roll the airplane encountered a sudden gust of wind and turned left. The pilot corrected with right rudder, but the airplane departed the runway and bounced several times before the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage and found no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The pilot further reported that wind at the airport was shifting. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
- — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-(general)-Contributed to outcome
- C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incomplete action-Pilot - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2010_ERA10CA397.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type. Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- arXiv 2020 · arXiv preprint
A Lean and Highly-automated Model-Based Software Development Process Based on DO-178C/DO-331
The emergence of a global market for urban air mobility and unmanned aerial systems has attracted many startups across the world.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Paper
A digital fly-by-wire technology development program using an F-8C test aircraft
A digital fly-by-wire flight control system has been installed in an F-8C test airplane and has undergone extensive ground and flight testing as part of an overall program to develop digital fly-by-wi…
- NASA NTRS 2016 · Conference Paper
Design and development experience with a digital fly-by-wire control system in an F-8C airplane
To assess the feasibility of a digital fly-by-wire system, the mechanical flight control system of an F-8C airplane was replaced with a digital system and an analog backup system.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Proceedings
Description and Flight Test Results of the NASA F-8 Digital Fly-by-Wire Control System
A NASA program to develop digital fly-by-wire (DFBW) technology for aircraft applications is discussed. Phase I of the program demonstrated the feasibility of using a digital fly-by-wire system for ai…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Presentation
Failure Analysis of T-38 Aircraft Burst Hydraulic Aileron Return Line
During maintenance troubleshooting for fluctuating hydraulic pressures, a technician found that a right hand aileron return line, on the flight hydraulic side, was ruptured (Fig. 1, 2).
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2016 · Journal article (IJAAA)
A Comparison of Cervical and Trunk Musculoskeletal Characteristics between Female and Male Army Helicopter Pilots
Introduction: Neck pain (NP) and low back pain (LBP) are prevalent among military helicopter pilots. Although there have been few studies on sex differences in the NP/LBP prevalence in this population…
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