Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary LAX95LA222

OCEANSIDE, CA, USA

Aircraft #1

N84CZ

SPREUER COZY

Analysis

THE PILOT REPORTED TO FAA INSPECTORS THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED TO MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT AS HE BEGAN A TAKEOFF GROUND ROLL ON RUNWAY 24. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE PERFORMED FINE; HOWEVER, THE GROUND ACCELERATION SEEMED SLUGGISH. THE PILOT ROTATED AT HIS NORMAL POINT, BUT THE AIRCRAFT FELT MUSHY AND HE ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT OVERRAN THE END OF THE 3,061-FOOT-LONG RUNWAY BEFORE HE COULD STOP AND COLLIDED WITH A FENCE AND A BERM. THE PILOT SAID THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OF ANY SYSTEM.

Factual Information

On June 23, 1995, at 1230 hours Pacific daylight time, a Spreuer Cozy experimental homebuilt airplane, N84CZ, overran the runway and collided with a fence and berm during a rejected takeoff at Oceanside, California. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The aircraft was destroyed in the multiple obstacle collision sequence. Neither the certificated private pilot nor his one passenger was injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident as a personal cross-country flight to Baja, Mexico. In a verbal statement to responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors, the pilot said the aircraft was loaded at gross weight as he began a takeoff ground roll on runway 24. The pilot stated that the engine performed fine; however, the ground acceleration seemed sluggish. The pilot rotated at his normal point, but the aircraft felt mushy and he elected to abort the takeoff. The aircraft overran the end of the 3,061-foot-long runway before he could stop and collided with a fence and a berm. The pilot said there were no mechanical malfunctions of any system. The pilot did not respond to repeated written requests to complete a NTSB Pilot Operator Aircraft Accident Report, Form 6120.1/2.

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot's premature rotation of the aircraft and failure to attain the proper liftoff airspeed.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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