# Accident 20121014022679A: Airborne Windsports Pty Ltd XT-912, Winter Haven, FL, October 14, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 14, 2012, 11:18 local time
- Place: Winter Haven, FL
- Airport: Winter Haven'S Gilbert
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.0578° N, 81.7519° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.0578&lon=-81.7519&mi=10
- Aircraft: N811RW, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N811RW-2018-02-08) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Airborne Windsports PTY XT-912 (registry code 05901CU, https://openairdocs.org/model/airborne-windsports-pty-xt-912) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax 912 series (registry code 55569, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIRBORNE WINDSPORTS PTY LTD XT-912
- Reported engine: ROTAX 912
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Sport pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 70 total, 70 in this make and model, 16 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA13LA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13LA020) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121014022679A

## Narrative

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

THE WITNESS OBSERVED PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE AIRCRAFT HAD PERFOMED AT LEAST TWO TOUCH AND GO'S AND STATED NOTHING SEEMED ABNORMAL BUT COMMENTED THAT IT SEEMED A BIT WINDY FOR AN ULTRA LIGHT TO BE OUT AND THE WINDS FELT TO BE ABOUT 10-15 KNOTS.THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED AND PARKED AT THE FBO TO EAT BREAKFAST.JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AN ACQUAINTANCE OF PILOT SUSANNE BROADBELT LANDED ON RUNWAY 05.  HE STATED "ON LANDING AT KGIF I DECIDED CONDITIONS WERE TOO GUSTY TO PARK MY TRIKE AND DECIDED NOT TO STAY FOR BREAKFAST WHEN I SAW A SINGLE TRIKE PARKED ALONG WITH SEVERAL FIXED WING AIRCRAFT, AS I GOT CLOSER I RECOGNIZED SUE WHO I HAD SEEN BEFORE AT THE HANGARS IN ZEPHYRHILLS. I SPOKE WITH HER BRIEFLY AND SHE ASKED HOW THE AIR WAS, I TOLD HER IT WAS BAD, GUSTY ON MY LANDING AND I WAS GOING BACK BEFORE CONDITIONS GOT WORSE AND WOULD JUST HAVE BREAKFAST IN ZEPHYRHILLS. SHE SAID HER LANDING WAS ALSO GUSTY. I OBSERVED THE WINDSOCK AND FLAGS AROUND THE AIRPORT STICKING STRAIGHT OUT. I TOLD HER I WOULD SEE HER BACK AT KZPH. I NEVER GOT OUT OF MY TRIKE OR TOOK MY HELMET OFF. I THEN CLEARED MY PROP AND TAXIED TO TAKE OFF OF RUNWAY 05. THE TIME WOULD HAVE BEEN BETWEEN 11:30 AND 11:40AM. I THEN LEFT THE KGIF AIRSPACE AND HEARD HER RADIO CALL THAT SHE WAS ON THE TAXI WAY. I THEN CHANGED FREQUENCY AND FLEW TO KZPH WITHOUT INCIDENT".AIRCRAFT N811RW TAXIED AND DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 5.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES TO HAVE CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 50-75 FEET BEFORE THE RIGHT WING FELL TO AN ESTIMATED 80 DEGREE DOWNWARD ANGLE.  THE NOSE OF THE CRAFT WAS IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION AND ENGINE RPM INCREASED.  THE ENGINE RPM INCREASED AND THE AIRCRAFT PASSED IN FRONT OF A 25 FOOT HANGAR OBSTRUCTING THE WITNESS VIEW, BUT IMMEDIATELY HEARD THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN THE VICINITY OF TAXIWAY A AND TAXIWAY B3 INTERSECTION. THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT WING IMPACTED THE GROUND; APPROXIMATELY 28 FEET FROM INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT, THE MAIN CARRIAGE ASSEMBLY IMPACTED THE GROUND.  THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SKID ON THE RIGHT SIDE FOR APPROXIMATELY168 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A STOP.NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS INDICATED PRIOR TO CRASH.

## 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 ERA13LA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13LA020), Oct 14, 2012: Airborne Windsports PTY XT-912 (N811RW), Winter Haven, FL, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff in crosswind conditions, which resulted in collision with terrain.

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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