Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Tracy Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Tracy, California 95376
Monday, March 3, 2003 9:10 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane veered off the runway surface during the takeoff ground roll and collapsed the right main landing gear after encountering an irrigation ditch at the side of the 40-foot-wide runway. A check pilot was accompanying the pilot on the flight so the pilot could gain experience in the newly purchased airplane. Prior to departure, the pilot performed a preflight inspection and the check pilot conducted a quick walk around visual examination of the airplane. As the airplane was on the departure roll, the pilot experienced a loss of directional control and veered off the right side of the runway. The check pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane and thought that the pilot lost control of the airplane due to his limited experience in the airplane. The pilot had 33.2 hours in the accident airplane, all of which were accumulated in the 10-day period prior to the accident. According to the Commander 690A flight manual systems description, the nose wheel steering is hydraulically actuated by light toe pressure on the brake pedals in the desired direction of turn, and heavier pressure will apply the brake on that side as well as turn the nose wheel.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the failure of the pilot to maintain directional control during the departure roll on a narrow runway. A factor in the accident was the pilot's limited experience in the airplane.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/3/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 910 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Tracy |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95376 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 373858N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1212230W |
| Event Location Airport | Tracy |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KTCY |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 193 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 855 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SCK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 34 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.86 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -613 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 20833 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 4 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1010 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 19 2009 2:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | chuk |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-OAK-FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N132JH |
| NTSB Number | LAX03LA105 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Aero Commander |
| Aircraft Model | 690A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 11126 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 11 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 12 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 7749.1 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | C & F Aviation |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4205 Rolling Meadows Pl |
| Aircraft Owner City | Norman |
| Aircraft Owner State | OK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 73072 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Robert H. Brown |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Gardnerville |
| Operator State | NV |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 89410 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Tracy |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 910 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 1O2 |
| Destination City | Lakeport |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - roll/run |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 4 2006 1:39PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | 1500 |
| Runway Width | 40 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |