Summary
On October 23, 2014, a Cessna A188B (N731PM) was involved in an incident near Louisburg, NC. 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 failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
The pilot stated that after dispersing a load he returned, and landed uneventfully on runway 5, which was the runway in use, reporting that the wind was from the west northwest at approximately 9 knots with gusts to 16 knots. He loaded the ant bait, taxied out, and during the takeoff roll from runway 5, about 600 to 800 feet down the runway, he indicated that he, "really got hit with a gust" estimated to be at 20 knots. When the wind gust occurred the tail wheel had not been raised from the runway yet. He indicated that he lost directional control resulting in a ground loop, and the airplane weather vaned, hit the edge, and bounced then came down with the sideload resulting in damage. He attempted to correct with rudder and brake but he was unable to.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA15CA027. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N731PM.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot stated that after dispersing a load he returned, and landed uneventfully on runway 5, which was the runway in use, reporting that the wind was from the west northwest at approximately 9 knots with gusts to 16 knots. He loaded the ant bait, taxied out, and during the takeoff roll from runway 5, about 600 to 800 feet down the runway, he indicated that he, "really got hit with a gust" estimated to be at 20 knots. When the wind gust occurred the tail wheel had not been raised from the runway yet. He indicated that he lost directional control resulting in a ground loop, and the airplane weather vaned, hit the edge, and bounced then came down with the sideload resulting in damage. He attempted to correct with rudder and brake but he was unable to. He indicated there was nothing wrong with the airplane that caused the accident.
A surface observation taken from the accident airport about 5 minutes before the accident indicates the wind was variable from 280 to 340 degrees at 7 knots.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA15CA027