Curtiss-Wright Travel Air C-4000 accident near Elmira, OR
On August 27, 2006, a Curtiss-Wright Travel Air C-4000 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Elmira, OR. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 27, 2006
- Place
- Elmira, OR
- Aircraft
- Curtiss-Wright Travel Air C-4000 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 44.061°N, 123.390°W
- NTSB ID
- 20060901X01279
NTSB summary
On August 27, 2006, approximately 1400 Pacific daylight time, a Curtiss Wright Travel Air C-4000, N6298, impacted a house and two automobiles during the initial climb out after taking off from Crow-Mag Airstrip, Elmira, Oregon. The pilot received serious injuries, his passenger received fatal injuries, and the aircraft, which is owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal pleasure flight, which was departing for Florence, Oregon, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation. According to witnesses, the aircraft, which was taking off to the north, lifted off in about 600 to 800 feet, and initially climbed straight ahead. It then started drifting to the right, and appeared to increase its pitch angle as it neared some nearby trees. Soon thereafter, the nose of the aircraft dropped, it rolled to the left, and then descended into the roof of a house. After the wing of the aircraft hit the house, it cartwheeled into the parked automobiles. According to the pilot, at the time of the takeoff, the winds were variable in direction and blowing between five and ten knots. The pilot said that after talking with other pilots more familiar with the field then him, he decided to take off to the north. He said that during the takeoff roll, lift off, and initial climb, the aircraft appeared to perform normally, but as he reached tree-top level, the wind shifted to a tailwind, and the aircraft stopped climbing and began to sink. He said that the aircraft drift
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain an airspeed above stall speed (Vs) while turning to avoid trees along the side of the runway during the initial climbout after takeoff. Factors include, a variable wind that became a tailwind, and trees growing near the side of the runway.
More accidents in OR
- Cessna T207A, Aug 21, 1986
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- Piper PA 46-310P, Apr 7, 2017
- Cessna 172, Jun 23, 2012
Browse: Oregon
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
