Cessna 172M N1401U accident near Indian Trail, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during takeoff and initial climb. Contributing was the pilot’s physical limitation which caused an inadvertent application of left rudder.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot reported that, shortly after the application of takeoff power, the airplane pulled strongly to the left while on the runway. The pilot attempted to correct with right aileron and rudder; however, shortly after rotation, the airplane climbed at an excessive pitch angle and continued to the left. The pilot lowered the nose to regain some airspeed, but the airplane impacted the ground before coming to rest against the trees bordering the runway. The pilot reported that he recently had knee replacement surgery and was unable to bend his left knee, which caused an inadvertent application of left rudder that could not be overcome during the takeoff and initial climb. This resulted in a loss of airplane control and subsequent impact. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA22LA068 for the full record.