Pilot Debrief

CARTER RICHARD L BUDDY BABY LAKES near Hurricane, UT — 2016-11-10

Final reportGAA17CA073
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Date
2016-11-10
Location
Hurricane, UT, USA
Airport
1L8
Aircraft
CARTER RICHARD L BUDDY BABY LAKES
Registration
N1028Q
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion.

NTSB narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel equipped biplane reported that during the takeoff sequence of a touch-and-go landing he decided to try a 2-point takeoff. He further reported that he was aware of the left turning tendency when raising the tail, however the "left turning factor happened much faster than [he] anticipated"; he was unable to recover with full right rudder inputs and the biplane veered to the left off the runway. During the runway excursion, the pilot brought the throttle to idle and the biplane impacted tumbleweeds. The biplane sustained substantial damage to both right wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Federal Aviation Administration's Airplane Flying Handbook, FAA-H-8083-3B (2016), contains a section titled "Normal Takeoff Roll" for tailwheel airplanes which states: It is important to note that nose-down pitch movement produces left yaw, the result of gyroscopic precession created by the propeller. The amount of force created by this precession is directly related to the rate the propeller axis is tilted when the tail is raised, so it is best to avoid an abrupt pitch change. Whether smooth or abrupt, the need to react to this yaw with rudder inputs emphasizes the increased directional demands common to tailwheel airplanes, a demand likely to be unanticipated by pilots transitioning from nosewheel models.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have chosen a standard takeoff instead of a 2-point takeoff.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents3

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