What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 9/26/02 at 1834PDT, Mr. Matthew j. potter, pilot in command of N6124U, a kolb MK-3 experimental/homebuilt aircraft departed runway 30R at Fresno Chandler Downtown airport. The aircraft was observed to enter a nose high attitude and after reaching an altitude of approximately 50' AGL began to descend back to the runway. The rate of descent increased, the aircraft impacted the surface and then proceeded to exit the runway at midfield in the unpaved area between runways 30L and 30R. The pilot (sole occupant) suffered minor injuries and the aircraft sustained substantial damage including collapse of the main landing gear and structural damage. Mr. Potter is a student pilot and he was unable to provide the FAA with any record of instruction or solo authorization to fly the aircraft. The aircraft records did not contain the required annual condition inspection. The reporting inspector was an eyewitness to this accident. (.19) on September 26, 2002, about 1834 pacific daylight time, a paige kolb mk iii experimental airplane, N6124U, collided with the runway during a high-speed taxi test at the Chandler municipal airport, Fresno, California. T he student pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The pilot sustained minor injuries; the airplane had substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight/high-speed taxi test began about 1833. According to an eyewitness, who was a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane was performing multiple takeoffs on the runway. The witness reported that when the airplane was airborne for the second time, the nose pitched up, the airplane stalled, and then impacted the runway. He observed that the engine was operating at the time, and that power was applied just as the airplane impacted the ground. The airplane slid and came to rest between the parallel runways. The pilot had recently purchased the experimental airplane but had not yet registered it in his name. This was the maiden flight of the airplane since its construction in may 2001. The pilot stated he was getting the feel of the airplane; and would become airborne for moments at a time and then land back on the runway. He had a student pilot certificate but no endorsement in his logbook. He told the FAA inspector that he did have experience in hang gliders and ultralight vehicles.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 9/26/02 AT 1834PDT, MR. MATTHEW J. POTTER, PILOT IN COMMAND OF N6124U, A KOLB MK-3 EXPERIMENTAL/HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 30R AT FRESNO CHANDLER DOWNTOWN AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO ENTER A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE AND AFTER REACHING AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 50' AGL BEGAN TO DESCEND BACK TO THE RUNWAY. THE RATE OF DESCENT INCREASED, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE SURFACE AND THEN PROCEEDED TO EXIT THE RUNWAY AT MIDFIELD IN THE UNPAVED AREA BETWEEN RUNWAYS 30L AND 30R. THE PILOT (SOLE OCCUPANT) SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE INCLUDING COLLAPSE OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. MR. POTTER IS A STUDENT PILOT AND HE WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE FAA WITH ANY RECORD OF INSTRUCTION OR SOLO AUTHORIZATION TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS DID NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED ANNUAL CONDITION INSPECTION. THE REPORTING INSPECTOR WAS AN EYEWITNESS TO THIS ACCIDENT. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2002, ABOUT 1834 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PAIGE KOLB MK III EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE, N6124U, COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY DURING A HIGH-SPEED TAXI TEST AT THE CHANDLER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, FRESNO, CALIFORNIA. T HE STUDENT PILOT WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES; THE AIRPLANE HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT/HIGH-SPEED TAXI TEST BEGAN ABOUT 1833. ACCORDING TO AN EYEWITNESS, WHO WAS A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, THE AIRPLANE WAS PERFORMING MULTIPLE TAKEOFFS ON THE RUNWAY. THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS AIRBORNE FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE NOSE PITCHED UP, THE AIRPLANE STALLED, AND THEN IMPACTED THE RUNWAY. HE OBSERVED THAT THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT THE TIME, AND THAT POWER WAS APPLIED JUST AS THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE SLID AND CAME TO REST BETWEEN THE PARALLEL RUNWAYS. THE PILOT HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE BUT HAD NOT YET REGISTERED IT IN HIS NAME. THIS WAS THE MAIDEN FLIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE SINCE ITS CONSTRUCTION IN MAY 2001. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS GETTING THE FEEL OF THE AIRPLANE; AND WOULD BECOME AIRBORNE FOR MOMENTS AT A TIME AND THEN LAND BACK ON THE RUNWAY. HE HAD A STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE BUT NO ENDORSEMENT IN HIS LOGBOOK. HE TOLD THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT HE DID HAVE EXPERIENCE IN HANG GLIDERS AND ULTRALIGHT VEHICLES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.