Amateur-built Vans RV-8 accident near Canandaigua, New York, June 5, 2005
On June 5, 2005 at about 12:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Vans RV-8, registered N61TW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Canandaigua, New York (Canandaigua airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Partial blocking of the flight controls by unsecured items in the cockpit, which resulted in a loss of control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2005 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Canandaigua, New York · Canandaigua · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Vans RV-8
- Registration
- N61TW · no longer on the register · serial 80428
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner of the homebuilt airplane began the takeoff roll. At rotation, the airplane pulled "hard" to the left, and pitched up "more aggressively" than a standard takeoff. The pilot applied full down elevator, "but the nose would not come down." The airplane then pitched nose down, the pilot applied full up elevator, and the airplane attained a level pitch attitude prior to ground contact. When asked about the performance and handling of the airplane, the pilot/owner said, "Everything was perfect with the engine." He added that about the time of rotation, he felt a bump, and surmised that he had struck a runway light or that a wheel brake had locked. Examination of the airplane revealed an ink pen lodged beneath the rudder bar. As a result, more force was required for a right rudder input than a left rudder input. The pilot/owner said he routinely stored pens, unsecured, on the ledge next to his right knee. Further examination revealed a 50-ounce glass jar beneath the front seat, in close proximity to the forward control stick. The jar's lid displayed indentations that the pilot said had not been there prior to the accident. He said the jar was kept in the airplane as a relief container, and that it was placed on a ledge, unsecured, prior to takeoff.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,420 hours in all; 71 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 71 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1999; 71 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: D38 Canandaigua NY at 12:00 pm
- Destination: D38
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 am from KPEO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N61TW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.