Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ashe County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
Sunday, August 3, 2008 17:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The solo student pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings to a full stop in the Cessna 172M on runway 28. He stated that the automated weather station reported winds of 3 to 4 knots from 290 degrees. He completed three takeoffs and landings uneventfully, and taxied back for a fourth departure. The pre-takeoff checks were normal, and the pilot added power for the zero-flap takeoff. When the airplane speed was approximately 45 to 50 knots, the airplane "pulled hard to the left." The pilot aborted the takeoff by retarding the power. The airplane departed the left side of the paved runway surface, skidded through the grass, and descended an embankment, where it rolled over and came to rest inverted. The pilot shut down the airplane, and exited unassisted. There was no fire. The pilot had approximately 26 total hours of flight experience, and approximately 20 hours in the accident airplane. The pilot stated he thought there was a possible mechanical problem with the airplane, like a "detached rudder cable." The Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not examine the airplane for flight control continuity during his on-scene examination. The certificated flight instructor/owner, who was also the mechanic for the airplane, stated that he did not find any mechanical problems with the airplane after the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of directional control during the takeoff roll for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the severity of the event was the descending embankment adjacent to the runway.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/3/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1700 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Jefferson |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28640 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 362556N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0812511W |
| Event Location Airport | Ashe County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GEV |
| 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 | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1702 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GEV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3180 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.09 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24381 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 3 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 26 2008 6:40PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Greensboro, NC |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N73594 |
| NTSB Number | NYC08CA269 |
| 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 | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172M |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17267566 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 77 |
| Airframe Hours | 11384 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AIR TAXI OF SW VIRGINIA INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Marion |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 24354 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | GEV |
| Departure City | -- |
| Departure State | -- |
| Departure Country | -- |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | GEV |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 23 2008 9:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MUZD |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 28 |
| Runway Length | 4293 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |