Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's selection of the wrong runway for takeoff and his failure to maintain runway alignment. The sun glare was a factor in this accident.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On September 3, 1994, at 0700 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna T210L, N732DT, collided with trees shortly after taking off from a private airstrip near Kettleman City, California. The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules personal flight to Riverton, Wyoming. The airplane, owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. Neither the certificated private pilot nor his three passengers were injured.
The pilot stated in the aircraft accident report that the sun blinded him as he lifted the nose on takeoff. The wing tip struck the tree branches alongside the airstrip, which turned the airplane into a row of trees.
The pilot did not report experiencing any preexisting mechanical failures or malfunctions. The pilot indicated that a takeoff in the opposite direction could have prevented the accident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX94LA369