N2899G Champion 7GCAA accident

NTSB NYC94LA116 · 1994-07-11 · BLAIRSTOWN, NJ · near 1N7

Summary

THE PILOT WAS DEPARTING RUNWAY 07. HE STATED THAT WHEN THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF, 'THE AIRPLANE TURNED RIGHT. I COULD NOT...CORRECT IT.' THE WING RIGHT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN, AND THE AIRPLANE STRUCK GLIDERS PARKED ON THE RAMP. THE WIND WAS REPORTED AS LIGHT AND VARIABLE. THE FAA EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AND FOUND NO CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS.

Full narrative

On Monday, July 11, 1994, at 1400 eastern daylight time, a Champion 7GCAA, N2899G, registered to Darren A. McKeever and piloted by Allen V. Molner, sustained substantial damage during an attempted takeoff at the Blairstown Airport, Blairstown, New Jersey. The pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The airplane was departing on runway 07. The pilot stated:

...when I reached liftoff speed-lifted off and the aircraft turned to the right. I could not seem to correct it. The plane ended up on the grass-hit one parked glider and ended up on top of another.

Mr. Morgan Brown, a Federal Aviation Administration Airwothiness Inspector, examined the airplane. In a report he stated:

Inspected N2899G and found that all flight controls were intact and functioned normally.

The wind was reported as light and variable.

Probable cause

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN. The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident.

Circumstances

Event type: Accident
Highest injury: None
Weather conditions: Visual Meteorological Cond
Light condition: Day
Sky condition: NONE
Ceiling (ft): 0
Visibility (sm): 15
Wind direction: 0
Temperature (F): 81
Nearest airport: BLAIRSTOWN
Distance from field: 0.0
Airport elevation: 372

Aircraft

Registration	Make	Model	Damage	FAR part
N2899G	CHAMPION	7GCAA	SUBS	091

Sequence of events

#	Occurrence	Phase
1	250	Cruise
2	230	Cruise

Findings

Finding
24539	cause
19200	cause