# Accident 20100401042579A: Ratcliffe J KOLB MARK3X, Charleston, SC, April 1, 2010

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 1, 2010, 11:24 local time
- Place: Charleston, SC
- Airport: Charleston Executive
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.7008° N, 80.0028° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.7008&lon=-80.0028&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3181L, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3181L-2015-05-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Ratcliffe John A KOLB MARK3X (registry code 056283H, https://openairdocs.org/model/ratcliffe-john-a-kolb-mark3x) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax 912ULS series (registry code 55572, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912uls-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: RATCLIFFE J KOLB MARK3X
- Reported engine: ROTAX 912ULS
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 138 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA10LA199](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10LA199) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100401042579A

## Narrative

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

IT WAS REPORTED BY A WITNESS AT MID FIELD RUNWAY 22 THAT THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 4 AT CHARLESTON EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (JZI) SHORTLY BEFORE 11:00 AM EDT.  THE AIRCRAFT MADE A HIGH SPEED RUN ABOUT 1/2 DOWN RUNWAY 4, CAME TO A STOP AND BACK TAXIED DOWN TO RUNWAY 4.  ANOTHER WITNESS, A CONSTRUCTION WORKER WITH A LITTLE FLYING EXPERIENCE, WORKING IN A POSITION NEAR RUNWAY 4 STATED THE SAME THING AND ADDING THAT THE PILOT TAXIED OFF THE RUNWAY AFTER THE BACK TAXI, GOT OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND APEARED TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES SPENDING ABOUT FEW MINUTES AT THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT.  THE PILOT GOT BACK INTO THE AIRCRAFT AND DEPARTED RUNWAY 4.  BOTH WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT MADE A STEEP CLIMB TO ABOUT 400 FEET, LEVELED OFF QUICKLY, THEN MADE A SECOND STEEP CLIMB TO ABOUT 700-800 FEET, THEN BEGAN TURNING TO THE RIGHT.  THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AND WENT OUT OF VIEW OF THE WITNESSES.  THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A NOSE DOWN SLIGHTLY INVERTED POSITION.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND IN A SALT MARSH, INVERTED ON A COMPASS HEADING OF ABOUT 180 DEGREES.  THE CABIN AREA WAS HEAVYLY DAMAGED. THE MAIN GEAR WAS SLIGHTLY BENT.  BOTH WING SPARS WERE SEPERATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND BOTH WING STRUTS WERE ATTACHED TO THE SPARS AND THE FUSELAGE.  THE TAIL BOOM WAS BENT TO THE RIGHT WERE IT EXTENDED FROM THE FUSELAGE.  THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS TO THE RIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE OUTLET AND VENT NIPPLES BROKEN OFF, THERE WAS NO SMELL OF FUEL IN THIS AREA.  THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS SOMEWHAT IN ITS MOUNTED POSITION AND (UPSIDE DOWN) WITH NO FUEL IN IT.  THERE WAS NO SMELL OF FUEL IN THIS AREA.  THERE WAS A SLIGHT SMELL OF FUEL IN A PUDDLE OF WATER AT THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT.  BUT NO FUEL COULD BE SEEN FLOATING ON THE WATER.  THE ENGINE HAD DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS ABOUT 35 FEET BEHIND THE MAIN WREKAGE.  THE PROPELLER HAD TWO BROKEN BLADES, THE THIRD BLADE COULD NOT BE SEEN DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO REACH THE ENGINE/PROPELLER DUE TO THE MUDDY LOCATION.

## 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 ERA10LA199](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10LA199), Apr 1, 2010: Ratcliffe John A Kolb MARK3X (N3181L), Charleston, SC, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the make…

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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