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WPR24LA322

2024-09-27 · Paris, Idaho, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 1U7

Current FAA registration · N916PH

Make / Model
VAN'S AIRCRAFT RV-12
Year of manufacture
2010 · 14 years old at event
Engine
ROTAX 912ULS SERIES (100 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20101007
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S ACAE42

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to properly configure the flaps, which resulted in a loss of directional control during takeoff.

Factual narrative

The pilot was practicing a soft field takeoff. As the airplane accelerated the nose lifted more than anticipated and at a lower airspeed. The airplane drifted left off the runway surface and the pilot decreased power and attempted to correct the heading change with rudder, but the airspeed was too low for the rudder to be effective. The airplane struck a precision approach path indicator (PAPI) assembly and the pilot brought the airplane to a stop. The pilot determined he had incorrectly set the flaps to the second notch (full down) instead of the first notch specified in the pilot’s operating handbook, which he said contributed to the conditions leading to the loss of control. He further stated there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that contributed to the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of checklist-Pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Flight control system-TE flap control system-Incorrect use/operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_WPR24LA322.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

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Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (icing, loss of control). All research papers