Pilot Debrief

CESSNA AIRCRAFT CO 162 near Shelter Island, NY — 2015-04-13

Final reportERA15LA184
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Date
2015-04-13
Location
Shelter Island, NY, USA
Airport
PVT
Aircraft
CESSNA AIRCRAFT CO 162
Registration
N30283
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to attain adequate airspeed after takeoff and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle-of-attack during the initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at too low an altitude to recover.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he conducted a preflight inspection, including a flight control check, and taxied the airplane to the runway for takeoff. After he took off from the turf runway, the light-sport airplane immediately began banking right, and the right aileron did not respond to control inputs. The airplane subsequently impacted trees and terrain before coming to rest near the runway. Witness reports and photographs indicated that the airplane became airborne about midfield of the 1,400-ft-long runway and corroborated that the airplane then banked right before impacting terrain. Examination of the airframe revealed no evidence of preaccident malfunction or failure, and flight control continuity was confirmed. During an engine test run, the engine started and operated normally. Although the right aileron control cable located behind the cockpit instrument panel was found separated, the cable exhibited tensile overload signatures consistent with impact damage. Further, given that the pilot reported that he checked the flight controls before departure, the flight control cable likely fractured due to tensile overload during impact. Based on the evidence indicating that the airplane immediately banked right after takeoff and then descended to impact, it is likely that the pilot did not maintain adequate airspeed and exceeded the airplane's critical angle-of-attack, which resulted in in an aerodynamic stall.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff upon noticing control issues.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 10 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents10

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