20111119027029A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Skykits SAVANNAH VGW · Elgin, IL · November 19, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: November 19, 2011 · 13:50 local
Place: Elgin, IL
Airport: Olson
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N61XT
Reported as: Skykits Savannah VGW
Reported engine: ROTAX 914
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 1 in this make and model

N61XTRegistration cancelled Aug 29, 2013 · Skykits SAVANNAH VGWS/N 10-03-51-905 · Built 2011 Airframe modelSkykits SAVANNAH VGW Engine modelRotax 914 series4 cycle

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.

Pilot started the airplane and the engine died. Pilot restarted the engine and allowed it to come to operating temperature. He taxied to the southwest end of the runway, then taxied full length of the runway to the northeast end. He taxied back to the southwest end of the runway. The pilot then initiated a takeoff. He reached approximately 50 feet of altitude. The airplane was observed to wobble, then turn to the left and descend near vertically to the ground.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STARTED THE AIRPLANE AND THE ENGINE DIED. PILOT RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND ALLOWED IT TO COME TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE. HE TAXIED TO THE SOUTHWEST END OF THE RUNWAY, THEN TAXIED FULL LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY TO THE NORTHEAST END. HE TAXIED BACK TO THE SOUTHWEST END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT THEN INITIATED A TAKEOFF. HE REACHED APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET OF ALTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO WOBBLE, THEN TURN TO THE LEFT AND DESCEND NEAR VERTICALLY TO THE GROUND.