Summary
On April 30, 2009, a Cessna 172 (N739RH) was involved in an incident near Greenville, ME. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot’s premature rotation during takeoff.
The pilot reported he was repositioning his floatplane from a land based airport to a seaplane base. The takeoff was performed using a dolly, towed by a pickup truck with a 60-foot rope. He stated the tow vehicle accelerated to flying speed; however, he prematurely rotated. The airplane did not have enough airspeed for the pilot to be able to maintain control. He climbed to an altitude of approximately 60 feet, stalled the airplane, and subsequently impacted the ground. The airplane received substantial damage to the wings, and firewall. The recorded wind at a nearby weather station, located three miles west of the accident airport, about the time of the accident, was variable at 5 knots.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA09CA280. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N739RH.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s premature rotation during takeoff.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
The pilot reported he was repositioning his floatplane from a land based airport to a seaplane base. The takeoff was performed using a dolly, towed by a pickup truck with a 60-foot rope. He stated the tow vehicle accelerated to flying speed; however, he prematurely rotated. The airplane did not have enough airspeed for the pilot to be able to maintain control. He climbed to an altitude of approximately 60 feet, stalled the airplane, and subsequently impacted the ground. The airplane received substantial damage to the wings, and firewall. The recorded wind at a nearby weather station, located three miles west of the accident airport, about the time of the accident, was variable at 5 knots. The pilot reported that the engine was operating properly and that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA09CA280