Cessna 170 N170RH accident near Valley Center, Kansas

Probable cause

The pilot's delayed decision to abort the takeoff when the airplane passed the point where he had anticipated the liftoff would occur.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that with about 500 ft of the 2,200-ft runway remaining, the airplane was traveling about 60 mph; the liftoff speed is 60 to 65 mph. He considered aborting the takeoff but determined that it was not safe due to the road that ran perpendicular to the end of the runway. As the pilot rotated the airplane, it abruptly pitched up, began sinking, and did not accelerate, so he elected to land straight ahead in an open field. After touchdown, the right landing gear broke and the spring leg dug into the ground. The airplane subsequently rotated about the leg, and the fuselage sustained substantial damage.

The pilot had conducted a preflight inspection of the airplane and determined the weight and balance of the airplane was within the manufacturer's limits. He estimated that the takeoff ground run distance was about 1,400 ft, which was about 70% more than the owner's manual recommended. Thus, it is likely that, although sufficient runway was available for takeoff, the airplane did not accelerate sufficiently to sustain flight. Further, the pilot failed to recognize that the airplane wasn’t accelerating and did not abort the takeoff when the airplane passed the point where he had anticipated the liftoff would occur.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN20TA088 for the full record.