Cessna P210 N128EE accident near Atlanta, Georgia

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to ensure that his seat was properly secured before initiating the takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control during the initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the lack of an installed secondary seat stop, and the airplane’s aft center of gravity condition.

NTSB analysis

The pilot and three passengers were taking off when the airplane became airborne about 1,000 ft down the runway, pitched nose up, and rolled left to an inverted attitude before impacting terrain next to the runway in a nose-down attitude. Postaccident examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Review of weight and balance information indicated that the airplane was more than 500 lbs over its maximum gross weight and that the center of gravity was aft of limits.

Examination of the wreckage revealed witness marks along the pilot’s seat tracks that corresponded with the seat being in the aft position at the time of impact. Given the pilot's stature, it is unlikely that this position would have allowed him to fully actuate the flight controls, and it is therefore unlikely that he intentionally initiated the takeoff with his seat in this position. Examination of the wreckage and maintenance logs revealed that the airplane was not equipped with manufacturer-recommended secondary seat stop mechanisms for either of the two front seats.

Review of operational and maintenance documents published by the airframe manufacturer showed the critical importance of ensuring that the pilot seats were secured before initiating a flight, since accelerations such as those encountered during takeoff could dislodge an unsecured seat. It is likely that the pilot did not properly secure his seat before takeoff, which resulted in the seat sliding aft, and his subsequent inadvertent application of aft inputs to the control yoke during the rotation and initial climb, which resulted in the airplane’s steep climb and a loss of control. The airplane’s aft center of gravity likely contributed to the loss of control.

Although toxicology testing of the pilot identified the presence of several medications, whether any medical factors contributed to the accident could not be determined from the available evidence. Some or all of the ethanol detected in the pilot’s toxicology may have been from sources other than consumption.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA22FA009 for the full record.