According to the right seat pilot, who is also the owner of the tailwheel-equipped Cessna 170, she was demonstrating a short field takeoff to the passenger on a grass area adjacent to the single paved runway at the airport in Morrisville, Vermont.
After adding power and releasing the brakes, the airplane veered to the left toward a ditch between the grass area and the paved runway.
The pilot attempted to steer away from the ditch by applying rudder control inputs but was unsuccessful. As the airplane approached the ditch she elected to rotate.
The airplane briefly became airborne then stalled and hit terrain.
The pilot and the passenger were seriously injured and the airplane’s fuselage and both wings were substantially damaged.
The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control and subsequent exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain.
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This September 2020 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
