Tecnam P2008 N615BS

Summary

On 19 July 2016 at about 16:33 local time, a Tecnam P2008 registered N615BS was involved in an accident near Warrenton, Virginia, United States. One person was 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

19 July 2016 at 16:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Warrenton, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Warrenton-Fauquier (HWY)

Coordinates

38.6322, -77.8772

Aircraft

Tecnam P2008

Registration

N615BS

Category

Airplane

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Warrenton → Warrenton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA16LA263

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s decision to begin the takeoff roll with helicopter traffic on the runway, which led to a rejected takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper use of the toe brakes, which he had limited experience using and resulted in a runway excursion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The sport pilot reported that he was on the ramp ready for departure and that he was aware of helicopter traffic in the airport traffic pattern. He turned right onto the runway and saw a helicopter hovering over the runway ahead of him. He initiated the takeoff roll but then chose to reject the takeoff to avoid a possible collision. He stated that he pushed too hard on the left toe brake and that the airplane then departed the left side of the runway. The airplane then nosed down in the grass, which resulted in structural damage to the right wing. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he had recently transitioned to the airplane with toe brakes from his previous airplane, which was equipped with a hand brake. He had only logged about 7 hours of flight time in the accident airplane make and model. It is likely that the pilot's lack of experience using a toe brake led to his failure to use it properly.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.