Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The failure of the pilot to maintain control of the aircraft during an aborted takeoff, which resulted in a ground loop. A factor is the pilot's improper use of carburetor heat during takeoff.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On June 8, 1998, at 1055 hours Pacific daylight time, a Saab 91B, N6370L, went off the end of the runway during an aborted takeoff at the Benton Field Airport, Redding, California. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and the commercial pilot and passenger, the sole occupants, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that on the takeoff roll, he didn't feel as if the engine was producing full power. He applied the brakes in an attempt to abort the takeoff and subsequently ground looped the aircraft. The right main landing gear collapsed and the aircraft came to rest upright off the edge of the runway.
The pilot reported to the Safety Board that he later realized that he had the carburetor heat on at the time of takeoff.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX98LA193