# Accident 19980815020929A: Valent TAIFUN17E, Geneva, WI, August 15, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 15, 1998, 15:25 local time
- Place: Geneva, WI
- Airport: Americana Airport,Lake
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.5796° N, 88.4205° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5796&lon=-88.4205&mi=10
- Aircraft: N17NT, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N17NT) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Valentin TAIFUN 17E (registry code 9370100, https://openairdocs.org/model/valentin-taifun-17e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: VALENT TAIFUN17E
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA314](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA314) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980815020929A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ACFT TOOK OFF, BEGAN TO CLIMB, DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT, AND CRASHED INTO TREES. (-23) TAILFUN N17NT, A MOTORIZED GLIDER, DEPARTED RUNWAY 05 AT THE LAKE GENEVE/GRAND GENEVA AIRPORT, LAKE GENEVA, WISCONSIN ON AUGUST 15, 1998 AT 1525 CDT. ON A VFR PLEASURE TO KENOSHA, WISCONSIN.  THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT SETTLED INTO TREES LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET TO THE RIGHT AND HALE-WAY DOWN THE 4100 FOOT RUNWAY.  LOUIS M. SKYDELL, THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT INJURED.  MR. SKYDELL REPORTED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE TAKEOFF THE WIND WAS OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 10 KTS. HE STATED HE ROTATED AT 47 KTS AND ACCELERATED TO A NORMAL CLIMB SPEED OF 60 KTS.  HE STATED THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT AND THAT AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET, THE AIRCRAFT SEEMED TO STOP CLIMBING.  HE STATED HE KEPT THE WINGS LEVEL AND LOWERED THE NOSE SLIGHTLY TO MAINTAIN 60 KTS.  MR. SKYDELL REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TREES AND SETTLED IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE.  A PRIVATE PILOT WHO WAS LOCATED AT THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY WITNESSED THE AC                                                                         CIDENT. HE STATED THE GROUND ROLL APPEARED NORMAL AND THAT AFTER LIFTOFF THE AIRCRAFT STARTED DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT AND CONTINUED CLIMBING UNTIL IT IMPACTED THE TREES.  AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR WILLIAM COPPERNOLL OF THE MILWAUKEE FSDO INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER IT HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE TREES  NO PREIMPACT ABNORMALITIES OF THE ENGINE, PROPELLER OR FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE NOTED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI98LA314](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA314), Aug 15, 1998: Valentin Taifun 17E (N17NT), Lake Geneva, WI, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain directional control and obtain proper climb rate during initial climb after takeoff. A factor was trees.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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