In July 2017, a friend of mine had a crash during takeoff in his Piper Arrow at the Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose, CA.The plane was destroyed in the crash and the pilot survived with minor injuries.
The plane had been at the airport for maintenance, including adding toe brakes to the copilot side, and he was planning to fly the aircraft back to his home airport in Marina, CA. Prior to takeoff, he moved the yoke to see that the ailerons and elevator were moving, and he paid particular attention to the rudder responsiveness, as a mechanic had worked on the rigging of the cables to the rudder. All looked good, and with his wife watching from the hangar, he lined up to take off from Runway 31R.
During the takeoff roll, he was pleased to see the aircraft tracked straight down the centerline and that the responsiveness of the rudder now seemed perfect after the maintenance. However, immediately after rotation, he observed that the aircraft began an uncommanded roll to the left. Realizing he was unable to control the aircraft, he pulled the throttle to idle when he was about 5 feet above the ground. The nose and left wing contacted the ground, and the plane rotated, tail high, around the nose before coming to a rest right-side up.
In the latest episode of the Aviation News Talk Podcast, this high-time pilot talks about the crash and the factors that lead to the crash. He also discusses what he learned from his first flight instructor that helped him avoid what is often a fatal accident type.
By the way, here’s what I teach my students from day one. When you’re checking the controls, take ahold of the yoke or stick and point your thumb straight up. Then when you move the yoke or stick, your thumb will be pointing at the aileron that is supposed to be up. If you do that religiously, every time you do a run up, you’ll avoid ever taking off with the controls connected backwards.
By the way, this is a mistake that even test pilots make. In 2006, the sole prototype of the Spectrum 33, which was a $3.6 million business jet, crashed on takeoff, killing both pilots. Witnesses reported that the plane entered a right roll and immediately cartwheeled when its right wing hit the ground. According to the NTSB, the ailerons were linked in a manner that reversed the roll control, such that the left roll input from the stick deflected the ailerons to produce right roll of the airplane, and vice versa. Prior to the accident, the aircraft had undergone extensive maintenance, including removal of the main landing gear, which required disconnection of a portion of the linkage control systems.
Subscribe now to Aviation News Talk on your iPhone or Android so you can easily access all episodes! And please contact me for all things Cirrus! I’m a Cirrus Platinum CSIP flight instructor who helps potential Cirrus SR20 and SR22 buyers around the country evaluate the many tradeoffs involved in deciding whether to buy a new versus a slightly used aircraft. And of course I’m available for flight training in the Cirrus and other glass cockpit aircraft. Keep the Blue Side UP!
Comments