Loehle Aircraft Corp LOEHLE P-40 N414L accident near Tullahoma, Tennessee

Probable cause

The pilot's delayed decision to abort the takeoff.

NTSB analysis

Shortly after taking off and the landing gear left the ground, the airplane entered a bank of about 10 degrees to the left. The pilot initially assumed that the bank had been induced by a crosswind, but the bank continued to increase as the airplane's speed increased. The pilot then leveled the airplane about 75 feet above the ground and slowed to 50 mph in an attempt to evaluate the control issues. While applying full right control stick and full right rudder, the bank would not decrease, so the pilot attempted to perform a forced landing with the bank angle about 45 degrees. When the pilot decreased engine power, the airplane nose rose, and the airplane stalled and spun to the left. The airplane subsequently impacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the nose, cockpit, and left wing. No broken flight control cables were found during a postaccident examination; however, due to the extent of impact-related damage to the airplane, operation of the ailerons could not be verified. When asked how the accident could have been prevented, the pilot suggested that a precautionary/aborted landing should have been undertaken upon the first indication of control issues during the takeoff. The airplane's ballistic parachute system did not activate.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA12CA013 for the full record.