20150603008279A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Rans S-12XL · Sharpsville, IN · June 3, 2015

Date: June 3, 2015 · 12:40 local
Place: Sharpsville, IN
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N51120
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA15CA105
Reported as: Rans S-12XL
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Sport pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 224 total224 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days

N51120Registration cancelled Jul 28, 2015 · Rans S-12XLS/N 06960730 · Built 1996 Airframe modelRans S-12XL Engine modelJabiru 22004 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.

June 3, 2015 at 12:40 a.m. local time, a 1996 Rans S-12XL aircraft, N51120 crashed while attempting takeoff from a private grass strip in Sharpsville, Indiana. There were no injuries, but the aircraft suffered substantial damage from contacting the aircraft owner?s pole barn.

During takeoff, the pilot was compensating for a prevailing crosswind condition that put his flight path in line with hitting his residence. The pilot said he would have been unable to negotiate the obstacles ahead of and to the right of his heading, so he opted to turn left toward his barn, which he was unable to avoid. The left main landing gear contacted the barn?s rain gutter causing the aircraft to penetrate through the barn?s roof structure.

Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and he did not file a flight plan for this flight. The pilotprivacy data omitted sole occupant was operating the aircraft with a valid sport pilot certificate. He has about 224 hours in this particular aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

JUNE 3, 2015 AT 12:40 A.M. LOCAL TIME, A 1996 RANS S-12XL AIRCRAFT, N51120 CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTING TAKEOFF FROM A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP IN SHARPSVILLE, INDIANA. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM CONTACTING THE AIRCRAFT OWNER?S POLE BARN.

DURING TAKEOFF, THE PILOT WAS COMPENSATING FOR A PREVAILING CROSSWIND CONDITION THAT PUT HIS FLIGHT PATH IN LINE WITH HITTING HIS RESIDENCE. THE PILOT SAID HE WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO NEGOTIATE THE OBSTACLES AHEAD OF AND TO THE RIGHT OF HIS HEADING, SO HE OPTED TO TURN LEFT TOWARD HIS BARN, WHICH HE WAS UNABLE TO AVOID. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR CONTACTED THE BARN?S RAIN GUTTER CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO PENETRATE THROUGH THE BARN?S ROOF STRUCTURE.

VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND HE DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN FOR THIS FLIGHT. THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SOLE OCCUPANT WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT WITH A VALID SPORT PILOT CERTIFICATE. HE HAS ABOUT 224 HOURS IN THIS PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT.

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 GAA15CA105Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportSharpsville, INThe pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a building.Jun 3, 2015 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N51120 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20140803013599ICruise/Level Flight · Sharpsville, INOn August 3, 2014, at approximately 2000HR. Eastern daylight time, a Rans S-12XL, N51120, landed off airport due to a loss of engine power. The engine, a jabiru 2200A, had 8 hours of operation since overhaul and sustained damage to the upper case during the…Aug 3, 2014 · No damage