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20130317004139A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Air Trikes EAGLE · Eustis, FL · March 17, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
March 17, 2013 · 10:15 local
Place
Eustis, FL
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N44565
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA13CA177
Reported as
Air Trikes Eagle
Reported engine
SUZUKI G10
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
221 total26 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days
N44565Registration cancelled Nov 29, 2019 · Air Trikes EAGLES/N AT01 · Built 2007Airframe modelAir Trikes EAGLEEngine modelSuzuki G104 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.

At 1520 UTC on Sunday March 17, 2013 I received notification from the regional operations center (roc) informing me of a mishap that occurred at the mid Florida (X55) airport near Eustis, FL. The reported time of the mishap was 1415 UTC by local police.

The aircraft was a weight shift control Air Trikes Eagle registration number N44565. The airman stated that he was on final approach for runway 18. As the aircraft descended below tree top level he reported encountering turbulence and a shift in wind direction. The aircraft was being displaced from the extended runway centerline by the wind. Not being able to stop this drift away from the runway the airman elected to perform a go-around maneuver. It was at this time that he reported the aircraft taking a sharp left hand turn which he was unable to compensate for. He attempted to clear a tree line that ran the length of the left side of the runway. Unable to gain enough altitude the aircraft impacted the top of the tree line. The aircraft came to rest in the top of one of the trees.

The airman was not seriously injured but received a cut on his right hand which was treated by emergency responders. The aircraft appeared to sustain substantial damage to the sail, wing frame, and cross bar. In addition, all propeller blades were broken off at the root.

The weather at the time of the event as reported at 1453 UTC observed winds at 160 degrees and 6 knots, the sky was clear, the temperature was 20 degree celsius (68 degrees fahrenheit), with a barometric pressure of 30.16. This observation was taken from leesburg int?l which is 9 nautical miles to the west of mid Florida airport. Speaking with deputy snyder, a first responder at the scene, reported the winds to be stronger and gusty than what was reported at leesburg.

On Monday March 18, 2013 I visited and documented the scene with maintenance inspector scott strickland. The aircraft was still in the top of the tree. Photographs were taken and the airman was interviewed. Photos were sent to tim monville from the NTSB.

As the FAA filed it

AT 1520 UTC ON SUNDAY MARCH 17, 2013 I RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER (ROC) INFORMING ME OF A MISHAP THAT OCCURRED AT THE MID FLORIDA (X55) AIRPORT NEAR EUSTIS, FL. THE REPORTED TIME OF THE MISHAP WAS 1415 UTC BY LOCAL POLICE.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS A WEIGHT SHIFT CONTROL AIR TRIKES EAGLE REGISTRATION NUMBER N44565. THE AIRMAN STATED THAT HE WAS ON FINAL APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 18. AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED BELOW TREE TOP LEVEL HE REPORTED ENCOUNTERING TURBULENCE AND A SHIFT IN WIND DIRECTION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING DISPLACED FROM THE EXTENDED RUNWAY CENTERLINE BY THE WIND. NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP THIS DRIFT AWAY FROM THE RUNWAY THE AIRMAN ELECTED TO PERFORM A GO-AROUND MANEUVER. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT HE REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT TAKING A SHARP LEFT HAND TURN WHICH HE WAS UNABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR. HE ATTEMPTED TO CLEAR A TREE LINE THAT RAN THE LENGTH OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. UNABLE TO GAIN ENOUGH ALTITUDE THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TOP OF THE TREE LINE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE TOP OF ONE OF THE TREES.

THE AIRMAN WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED BUT RECEIVED A CUT ON HIS RIGHT HAND WHICH WAS TREATED BY EMERGENCY RESPONDERS. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO SUSTAIN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE SAIL, WING FRAME, AND CROSS BAR. IN ADDITION, ALL PROPELLER BLADES WERE BROKEN OFF AT THE ROOT.

THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT AS REPORTED AT 1453 UTC OBSERVED WINDS AT 160 DEGREES AND 6 KNOTS, THE SKY WAS CLEAR, THE TEMPERATURE WAS 20 DEGREE CELSIUS (68 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT), WITH A BAROMETRIC PRESSURE OF 30.16. THIS OBSERVATION WAS TAKEN FROM LEESBURG INT?L WHICH IS 9 NAUTICAL MILES TO THE WEST OF MID FLORIDA AIRPORT. SPEAKING WITH DEPUTY SNYDER, A FIRST RESPONDER AT THE SCENE, REPORTED THE WINDS TO BE STRONGER AND GUSTY THAN WHAT WAS REPORTED AT LEESBURG.

ON MONDAY MARCH 18, 2013 I VISITED AND DOCUMENTED THE SCENE WITH MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR SCOTT STRICKLAND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL IN THE TOP OF THE TREE. PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN AND THE AIRMAN WAS INTERVIEWED. PHOTOS WERE SENT TO TIM MONVILLE FROM THE NTSB.

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 ERA13CA177Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportEustis, FLThe pilot’s failure to maintain control of the weight-shift aircraft during the final approach to land.Mar 17, 2013 · Substantial damage