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20070616010289A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Amtr EUROPA XS · Livermore, CA · June 16, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 16, 2007 · 08:37 local
Place
Livermore, CA
Airport
Livermore Municipal
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N214KS
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX07LA148
Reported as
Amtr Europaxs
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX914UL
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
2,900 total200 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N214KSRegistration cancelled Oct 1, 2009 · Hill Kenneth D EUROPA XSS/N A214 · Built 2005Airframe modelHill Kenneth D EUROPA XSEngine modelRotax SEE BOMBADIERReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The aircraft departed runway 25R heading west. The aircraft climbed to an altitude of between 300 & 400 feet above an adjacent golf course just after take-off at an estimated 5 degree pitch up and a slow speed. The aircraft turned left 90 degrees in a southerly direction losing approximately 100 feet. During the initial left hand turn the aircraft experienced 260 degree 20 knot gusting winds striking the right hand side of the aircraft. The right hand wing came up then left and settled back level. The aircraft then attempted another 90 degree left hand turn back toward the airport runway. The aircraft right hand wing came up and continued rolling the aircraft onto its back. The aircraft impacted the ground vertically striking the canopy & nose of the aircraft first. The aircraft was immediately consumed by flames. One eyewitness reported that it appeared to him that the aircraft was flying very slow and unable to climb. The eyewitness correlated a strong gust of wind occurring at the same time the aircraft was making its final turn, stall and spin.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 25R HEADING WEST. THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF BETWEEN 300 & 400 FEET ABOVE AN ADJACENT GOLF COURSE JUST AFTER TAKE-OFF AT AN ESTIMATED 5 DEGREE PITCH UP AND A SLOW SPEED. THE AIRCRAFT TURNED LEFT 90 DEGREES IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION LOSING APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET. DURING THE INITIAL LEFT HAND TURN THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED 260 DEGREE 20 KNOT GUSTING WINDS STRIKING THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE RIGHT HAND WING CAME UP THEN LEFT AND SETTLED BACK LEVEL. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ATTEMPTED ANOTHER 90 DEGREE LEFT HAND TURN BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT HAND WING CAME UP AND CONTINUED ROLLING THE AIRCRAFT ONTO ITS BACK. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND VERTICALLY STRIKING THE CANOPY & NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT FIRST. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IMMEDIATELY CONSUMED BY FLAMES. ONE EYEWITNESS REPORTED THAT IT APPEARED TO HIM THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING VERY SLOW AND UNABLE TO CLIMB. THE EYEWITNESS CORRELATED A STRONG GUST OF WIND OCCURRING AT THE SAME TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS MAKING ITS FINAL TURN, STALL AND SPIN.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX07LA148Accident · 2 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportLivermore, CAthe loss of engine power for an undetermined reason during the initial climb, and the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while attempting a return to runway maneuver, which resulted in a stall/spin.Jun 16, 2007 · Destroyed