Loehle Aircraft CORP LOEHLE P-40 accident near Tullahoma, Tennessee, October 3, 2011
On October 3, 2011 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Loehle Aircraft CORP LOEHLE P-40, registered N414L, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Tullahoma, Tennessee (Tullahoma Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delayed decision to abort the takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 2011 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Tullahoma, Tennessee · Tullahoma Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Loehle Aircraft CORP LOEHLE P-40
- Registration
- N414L · no longer on the register · serial P150968827WE-RG
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,350 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 3,640 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 260 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 11, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,045 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: THA Tullahoma TN at 10:15 pm
- Destination: THA Tullahoma TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from MQY, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on November 28, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Interview Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record - Email Correspondence, FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 1 - View of Wreckage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 2 - View of Wreckage from Left (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 3 - View of Wreckage from Forward (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.