Furlong CA-6 N12LF

Summary

On 14 July 2020 at about 21:00 local time, a Furlong CA-6 registered N12LF was involved in an accident near Manville, New Jersey, United States. One person was on board and 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

14 July 2020 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Manville, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Central Jersey Rgnl (47N)

Coordinates

40.5244, -74.5983

Aircraft

Furlong CA-6

Registration

N12LF

Category

Airplane

Year built

1998

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Manville → Erwinna

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20CA252

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of directional control on takeoff for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot had just flown his tailwheel equipped airplane into the airport to purchase fuel, where the flight was uneventful. After purchasing fuel, the pilot performed another flight control check and initiated the takeoff. During the takeoff roll, as the tail came off the ground, the airplane began to pull to the left. The pilot continued with the takeoff but as the airplane climbed to about 40 ft above the ground, it continued to pull left despite right rudder and aileron input. The pilot was unable to stop the turn and attempted to land the airplane. The airplane struck a chain link fence adjacent to airport property and flipped over resulting in substantial damage to both wings, right horizontal stabilizer and elevator, vertical stabilizer and rudder. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) maintenance inspector confirmed flight control continuity between the cockpit controls and all primary flight controls, including the rudder. Further inspection revealed that the right rudder pedals were displaced full right; however, impact damage of the rudder precluded the ability to conclusively verify proper system operation. The pilot reported that he had no previous operational or mechanical issues with the rudder prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.