ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 178041
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| Date: | Thursday 23 July 2015 |
| Time: | 10:45 |
| Type: |  North American NA-145 Navion |
| Owner/operator: | Air Group 88 LLC |
| Registration: | N91418 |
| MSN: | NAV-4-80 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1946 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2395 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental E-185-3 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | SW of Eagle's Nest Airport (W13), Waynesboro, VA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Waynesboro, VA (W13) |
| Monticello, NY (WMSV) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The private pilot was attempting to depart on a personal cross-county flight from a 2,004-ft-long-runway. The pilot reported that, before the flight, he loaded the airplane with baggage and filled both wing tanks and the auxiliary fuel tank. He added that he rotated the airplane at 65 mph and that, during the rotation, the airplane failed to climb, and the airspeed did not increase. The pilot then leveled the airplane briefly to achieve 70 mph and increased the pitch, but the airplane still would not climb. A witness reported that the airplane pitched up and remained in ground effect with the wings rocking back and forth as it flew down the length of the runway. Another witness stated that, when the airplane rotated, it appeared to lose lift and could not climb out of ground effect. The airplane hit trees past the end of the runway and then came to rest in a pond.
A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Given the pilot’s statements, it is likely he rotated the airplane early and attempted to gain airspeed while in ground effect and then pitched up the airplane as he neared the end of the runway. Postaccident calculations revealed that the airplane was near its maximum gross weight and aft center of gravity limit, which combined with the high-density altitude conditions, would have resulted in the airplane pitching up more than expected and its inability to climb and increased the required takeoff distance, leaving little margin for error.
Probable Cause: The pilot's early rotation of the airplane and his failure to attain a positive climb rate during takeoff with the airplane near its aft center of gravity limit from a runway with little margin for error.
Statement by the owner on the NTSB report:
The correct facts of the conditions as provided to the FAA by the pilot were: 1. The aircraft was 200 lb below gross weight. 2. The cg was at 30% forward of the aft cg limit (@102", range: 96" - 105"). 3. Density altitude was only 350' over field elevation. 4. Engine was not dismantled or compression tests conducted. Additional information was learned later: 5. Statement by the former owner, an A&P, said he had experienced a similar occurrence in that plane but with a 6,000\' runway, was able to land on remaining runway. No engine problem found. 6. Another Navion pilot (an IA) recounted the same experience of power loss in another Navion with the same horsepower engine. With a runway remaining, he put the aircraft down and upon inspection of the engine could not find any engine malfunction. His conclusion was a temporarily stuck valve. Therefore the probable cause was an unknown power loss on a short runway.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=91418
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Jul-2015 21:46 | Geno | Added |
| 28-Jul-2015 18:53 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 01-Dec-2017 15:04 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Jan-2022 07:30 | harro | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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