FRANKE HARRY C AVID FLYER B
Somerset, PA — April 30, 2011
Event Information
| Date | April 30, 2011 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | ERA11CA279 |
| Event ID | 20110504X11309 |
| Location | Somerset, PA |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 40.03889, -79.01500 |
| Airport | Somerset County Airport |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | FRANKE HARRY C |
| Model | AVID FLYER B |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot’s failure to hold full power for takeoff.
Full Narrative
The pilot stated that he conducted a preflight inspection and a ground run up prior to the flight. There were no discrepancies noted then, with the takeoff, and initial climb. When the airplane reached approximately 65 feet above the ground, just over the asphalt end section of the runway, he leveled off the climb and raised the flaps. Suddenly, the engine, "quit", had a loss of power. The pilot lowered the nose of the airplane and attempted to level off before landing but hit the ground hard, collapsing the main gears, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage structure. He and the passenger exited the airplane unharmed. Later the pilot realized and confirmed that the friction lock on the engine throttle was not engage correctly resulting in the throttle to roll back to the idle position.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.