Event GAA20CA055

Factual narrative

The student pilot reported that, he configured the airplane for takeoff, and during the takeoff roll, the airplane reached 55 knots, and ascended about 5ft above the runway. The airplane descended back to the runway and veered to the right. He applied left rudder, and he pulled the throttle to idle as the airplane exited the right side of the runway. He leveled the wings, locked the brakes and the airplane impacted a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. According to the METAR at the accident airport, the weather about the time of the accident was reported as wind light and variable wind conditions, temperature 82°F, and the airport elevation was 422ft. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The solo student pilot reported that he configured the airplane for takeoff and that, during the takeoff roll, the airplane reached 55 knots and ascended about 5 ft above ground level. The airplane descended back onto the runway and veered right. He applied left rudder and pulled the throttle to idle as the airplane exited the right side of the runway. He leveled the wings and locked the brakes, and the airplane impacted a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. 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-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot - C
• C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Fence/fence post-Effect on operation - C