What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On August 9, 2008 about 0830 eastern standard time, registered N3880A, northwing, apache classic, a light sport aircraft (LSA), weight shift controlled category, single engine land class operated under 61.1 (b)(14), crashed immediately after takeoff at willis glideport airpark, Boynton Beach, Florida. The LSA was operated by certificated pilot privacy data omitted # 1587739 under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 61. The pilot was seriously injured and the two seat trike weight shift LSA was substantially damaged. Investigation of the LSA after the accident did not find any evidence of pre impact anomalies or failures, all flight controls, engine instrument panel, delta wing drag and anti drag cables had continuity. Pilots first flight after 0 hours of appropriate flight instruction. According to several witnesses, upon takeoff the LSA was approximately 50 feet in the air when it took a sharp left turn 260 degrees back towards the airstrip in which it just took off from. Upon descend the LSA clipped several trees. The lower carriage of the LSA crashed in to a cannel embankment that paralleled the airstrip. It cart wheeled twice and came to rest upside down first responders (good samaritans) who saw the fuel tank leaking lifted the pilot up and dragged the wreckage out from underneath him. Suggested probable cause: pilot did not have enough physical strength or weight (he weighed 120 lbs) to control aircraft. Pilot could not "weight shift" the control to clear ground effect. The pilot was air medi-vaced to delray medical center and was not coherent for interview. Several witness at the private home owner airstrip watched the LSA attempt flight. Witnesses state just after lift off from the airstrip, the aircraft approximately 50 feet off the ground, turned sharply to the left (south) in a three quarter circle back to the airstrip. The right wing clipped two trees, as the lower section of the LSA impacted the bank of a water cannel; it then flipped twice and came to rest back at the airstrip facing north. One witness assisted the rollout of the aircraft before take off and the other was a resident who's house faces the south directly across from the event. 29 August 2008 interview of pilot at his girl friends' house claims he doesn't remember anything. His pilot log book showed an endorsement for gliders. Pilot did not have log books for LSA or maintenance logs. Informed pilot that inspector is issuing a letter of investigation
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON AUGUST 9, 2008 ABOUT 0830 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, REGISTERED N3880A, NORTHWING, APACHE CLASSIC, A LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT (LSA), WEIGHT SHIFT CONTROLLED CATEGORY, SINGLE ENGINE LAND CLASS OPERATED UNDER 61.1 (B)(14), CRASHED IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF AT WILLIS GLIDEPORT AIRPARK, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA. THE LSA WAS OPERATED BY CERTIFICATED PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ # 1587739 UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 61. THE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND THE TWO SEAT TRIKE WEIGHT SHIFT LSA WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. INVESTIGATION OF THE LSA AFTER THE ACCIDENT DID NOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF PRE IMPACT ANOMALIES OR FAILURES, ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS, ENGINE INSTRUMENT PANEL, DELTA WING DRAG AND ANTI DRAG CABLES HAD CONTINUITY. PILOTS FIRST FLIGHT AFTER 0 HOURS OF APPROPRIATE FLIGHT INSTRUCTION. ACCORDING TO SEVERAL WITNESSES, UPON TAKEOFF THE LSA WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET IN THE AIR WHEN IT TOOK A SHARP LEFT TURN 260 DEGREES BACK TOWARDS THE AIRSTRIP IN WHICH IT JUST TOOK OFF FROM. UPON DESCEND THE LSA CLIPPED SEVERAL TREES. THE LOWER CARRIAGE OF THE LSA CRASHED IN TO A CANNEL EMBANKMENT THAT PARALLELED THE AIRSTRIP. IT CART WHEELED TWICE AND CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN FIRST RESPONDERS (GOOD SAMARITANS) WHO SAW THE FUEL TANK LEAKING LIFTED THE PILOT UP AND DRAGGED THE WRECKAGE OUT FROM UNDERNEATH HIM. SUGGESTED PROBABLE CAUSE: PILOT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH PHYSICAL STRENGTH OR WEIGHT (HE WEIGHED 120 LBS) TO CONTROL AIRCRAFT. PILOT COULD NOT "WEIGHT SHIFT" THE CONTROL TO CLEAR GROUND EFFECT. THE PILOT WAS AIR MEDI-VACED TO DELRAY MEDICAL CENTER AND WAS NOT COHERENT FOR INTERVIEW. SEVERAL WITNESS AT THE PRIVATE HOME OWNER AIRSTRIP WATCHED THE LSA ATTEMPT FLIGHT. WITNESSES STATE JUST AFTER LIFT OFF FROM THE AIRSTRIP, THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET OFF THE GROUND, TURNED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT (SOUTH) IN A THREE QUARTER CIRCLE BACK TO THE AIRSTRIP. THE RIGHT WING CLIPPED TWO TREES, AS THE LOWER SECTION OF THE LSA IMPACTED THE BANK OF A WATER CANNEL; IT THEN FLIPPED TWICE AND CAME TO REST BACK AT THE AIRSTRIP FACING NORTH. ONE WITNESS ASSISTED THE ROLLOUT OF THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE TAKE OFF AND THE OTHER WAS A RESIDENT WHO'S HOUSE FACES THE SOUTH DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE EVENT. 29 AUGUST 2008 INTERVIEW OF PILOT AT HIS GIRL FRIENDS' HOUSE CLAIMS HE DOESN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING. HIS PILOT LOG BOOK SHOWED AN ENDORSEMENT FOR GLIDERS. PILOT DID NOT HAVE LOG BOOKS FOR LSA OR MAINTENANCE LOGS. INFORMED PILOT THAT INSPECTOR IS ISSUING A LETTER OF INVESTIGATION
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.