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ERA11CA035

2010-10-17 · Fayetteville, West Virginia, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport WV59

Current FAA registration · N55464

Make / Model
BOEING A75N1(PT17)
Engine
P&W R-985 SERIES (450 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19870916
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A7118E

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.

Factual narrative

According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, the airplane "went off to the right" as he applied power to take off from the 2,010-foot-long by 20-foot-wide asphalt runway. The pilot stated that he "overcorrected" with rudder, the airplane impacted a runway light, and he reduced engine power in an attempt to regain control. The pilot then re-applied engine power to clear a fence at the end of the runway and land the airplane in a grass area beyond the fence. During the landing, the airplane impacted a pile of dirt, resulting in substantial damage to the bottom left wing. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane. According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll the airplane veered to the right. The pilot over compensated with rudder application and the airplane impacted a runway light. He reduced engine power in an attempt to regain control and subsequently reapplied engine power in an effort to clear a fence at the end of the runway and land the airplane in a grass area beyond the fence. During the landing, the airplane impacted a pile of dirt, resulting in substantial damage to the bottom left wing. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2010_ERA11CA035.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.