Imagine this: It’s a beautiful VFR day, and you are launching on a two-hour flight to visit friends. Your aircraft is a typical small airplane with a single piston engine. At your initial position on the runway, you apply full power, and the takeoff roll begins. At that same instant, a countdown starts. For the next 90 seconds, you are at a highly increased risk for an accident. In fact, it may be one of the most dangerous parts of your entire flight.
The numbers change from year to year, from one report to another, but they generally agree. Roughly 20 percent of airplane accidents occur during the takeoff and climb-out phase. It is a deceivingly short period—one that leaves many pilots vulnerable and unprepared.
