What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Sunday, September 28,2014, at approximately 11:55 am, an experimental light sport aircraft, with expired registration number N3740A , collided with trees after takeoff and crashed into a wooded area in Lebanon, CT. The aircraft departed from a privately owned hayfield adjacent to the crash site in which the owner allows aircraft operations. The crash site is located just aft of the backyard of a private residential home.
A nearby neighbor provided a written statement indicating that she heard the impact of the crash and also heard the engine running after the impact for a few minutes and then stopping.
Visual inspection conducted at the crash site revealed the presence of an unknown amount of fuel, unrestricted flight control operation and continuity with no other visible anomalies. The aircraft was determined to be substantially damaged.
The single non-certificated owner pilot of the aircraft was airlifted to hartford hospital in hartford, CT. With pelvic and leg injuries.
An interview conducted with the private owner of the hayfield revealed that the recommended takeoff direction is to the east due to the rising terrian with trees and homes on the west. The pilot stated during his interview that the aircraft was configured with ten degrees of flaps and the departure was made to the west. In an attempt to clear the trees resulting from the rising terrain, the pilot pulled back on the control column and stalled the aircraft. The pilot also stated that it had been approximately eight years since he last operated into the private hayfield. No evidence of a special airworthiness certifcate issuance has been found.
As the FAA filed it
ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28,2014, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:55 AM, AN EXPERIMENTAL LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT, WITH EXPIRED REGISTRATION NUMBER N3740A , COLLIDED WITH TREES AFTER TAKEOFF AND CRASHED INTO A WOODED AREA IN LEBANON, CT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM A PRIVATELY OWNED HAYFIELD ADJACENT TO THE CRASH SITE IN WHICH THE OWNER ALLOWS AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS. THE CRASH SITE IS LOCATED JUST AFT OF THE BACKYARD OF A PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL HOME.
A NEARBY NEIGHBOR PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT INDICATING THAT SHE HEARD THE IMPACT OF THE CRASH AND ALSO HEARD THE ENGINE RUNNING AFTER THE IMPACT FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN STOPPING.
VISUAL INSPECTION CONDUCTED AT THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF FUEL, UNRESTRICTED FLIGHT CONTROL OPERATION AND CONTINUITY WITH NO OTHER VISIBLE ANOMALIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DETERMINED TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.
THE SINGLE NON-CERTIFICATED OWNER PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS AIRLIFTED TO HARTFORD HOSPITAL IN HARTFORD, CT. WITH PELVIC AND LEG INJURIES.
AN INTERVIEW CONDUCTED WITH THE PRIVATE OWNER OF THE HAYFIELD REVEALED THAT THE RECOMMENDED TAKEOFF DIRECTION IS TO THE EAST DUE TO THE RISING TERRIAN WITH TREES AND HOMES ON THE WEST. THE PILOT STATED DURING HIS INTERVIEW THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONFIGURED WITH TEN DEGREES OF FLAPS AND THE DEPARTURE WAS MADE TO THE WEST. IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLEAR THE TREES RESULTING FROM THE RISING TERRAIN, THE PILOT PULLED BACK ON THE CONTROL COLUMN AND STALLED THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT IT HAD BEEN APPROXIMATELY EIGHT YEARS SINCE HE LAST OPERATED INTO THE PRIVATE HAYFIELD. NO EVIDENCE OF A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFCATE ISSUANCE HAS BEEN FOUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.