Seales PROTECH PT-2B N333PT

Summary

On 9 August 2006 at about 22:30 local time, a Seales PROTECH PT-2B registered N333PT was involved in an accident near Crestview, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 August 2006 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Crestview, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Crestview (KCEW)

Coordinates

30.7783, -86.5256

Aircraft

Seales PROTECH PT-2B

Registration

N333PT

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Crestview → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC06LA113

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to correct for torque/p-factor during takeoff initial climb, which resulted in a loss of control and a collision with trees and a power line. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane, and his inadvertent lift-off.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private certificated pilot, with one passenger, began to taxi down a runway in a tailwheel-equipped, amateur built experimental airplane during a Title 14, CFR Part 91 flight. The pilot said he only intended to taxi the airplane, and lift off to about 2 inches, but when he applied aft control pressure at 30 mph, it lifted off to about 50 feet and began to turn left. The pilot indicated he applied right aileron and right rudder to correct the turn, but no change in direction occurred. He then pulled the control stick aft to gain altitude. The airplane climbed to 160 feet before descending into trees and a power line, still in a left turn. A postcrash fire erupted after impact. The pilot and passenger exited the inverted airplane, and the fire destroyed all aircraft records. In the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) submitted by the pilot, the pilot indicated that the airplane did not have a mechanical malfunction/failure. The pilot said he received 1 hour of instruction in the airplane, but did not have a tailwheel endorsement. An FAA inspector examined the airplane at the crash scene and reported that all flight controls were connected, with the exception of a broken left rudder cable. About 1/2 of the cable strands had a broom-straw appearance. The airplane's former owner, a certificated mechanic who owned the airplane for 2 months and had flown it once, reported that the airplane only weighed 950 pounds, and was equipped with a 150 horsepower engine for good short takeoff and landing capabilities. The mechanic reported that the day before the accident, in response to a call from the pilot, he removed a wasp from the pitot tube, and inspected the tailwheel assembly, which functioned properly. At that time, the mechanic said he warned that pilot about the torque produced by the large engine, and adverse yaw at slow speeds.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.