Aircraft: Cessna 210. Injuries: 2 Minor. Location: West Glacier, Mont. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to takeoff from a 2,500-foot long runway in rising terrain. The airplane accelerated normally and became airborne between 1,000 and 1,200 feet down the runway. The pilot said the plane did have a positive rate of climb but was not climbing as he expected it would, so he elected to abort the takeoff. He reduced power but then realized he did not have enough runway remaining to land. As he was adding power to abort the landing the airplane hit the ground and hit a log off the end of the runway.
The pilot stated that he felt the optical illusion of rising terrain and a rising runway caused him to feel that the airplane was not climbing adequately.
Probable cause: The pilot elected to abort the takeoff without sufficient runway available to land and stop the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the illusion created by the rising terrain, which influenced the pilot’s decision to abort the takeoff.
NTSB Identification: WPR12CA284
This July 2012 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.
