Crash location | 35.984444°N, 85.805278°W |
Nearest city | Smithville, TN
35.960619°N, 85.814152°W 1.7 miles away |
Tail number | N52CH |
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Accident date | 20 Aug 2011 |
Aircraft type | Cano Dave Avid Flyer Mkiv |
Additional details: | None |
The pilot stated that he became distracted during the takeoff roll when the airplane's door came open. He reached to close the door, the airplane veered left, and subsequently departed the runway. The airplane impacted a berm off the left side of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll due to his distraction by an open door.