Aviat HUSKY N776BC

Summary

On 1 August 2014 at about 19:00 local time, a Aviat HUSKY registered N776BC, operated by Hoot Aero LLC, was involved in an accident near Steamboat Springs, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 August 2014 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Steamboat Springs, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

40.4850, -106.8317

Aircraft

Aviat HUSKY

Registration

N776BC

Category

Airplane

Year built

2000

Engines

1

Operator

Hoot Aero LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Steamboat Springs → Steamboat Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14CA460

Nobody was injured.

The student rated pilot's inadvertent flight control input resulting in a ground loop and substantial damage to the right wing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the FAA Certificated flight instructor, he was instructing the student rated pilot on a mountain flying technique known as "popping the flaps" in order to aid in gaining altitude during short field takeoffs. He stated that shortly after rotation, the student reached down to pop the flaps and inadvertently leaned on the yoke, causing the airplane to descend, strike the ground and loop to the right. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.