20151014017439A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Gross Michael E STOL CH 701 · Eufaula, AL · October 14, 2015

Date
October 14, 2015 · 15:00 local
Place
Eufaula, AL
Airport
Weedon Field
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4931M
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA16LA014
Reported as
Gross Michael E Stol CH 701
Reported engine
ROTAX 912UL
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
218 total6 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

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 completed a normal run-up. Pilot departed runway 36. Pilot states, that during climbout at approximately 50 feet AGL the engine began to run roughly and the airplane began to vibrate. Pilot attempted to clear engine roughness by moving the throttle. Engine continued to lose power so pilot elected to land on remaining runway. Aircraft had began a left turn and pilot attempted to remain over the runway by initiating a turn to the right. Aircraft was unresponsive. Aircraft touched down in a slight left turn nose down position and then flipped over in the grass on the left side of the runway.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT COMPLETED A NORMAL RUN-UP. PILOT DEPARTED RUNWAY 36. PILOT STATES, THAT DURING CLIMBOUT AT APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET AGL THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGHLY AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO VIBRATE. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CLEAR ENGINE ROUGHNESS BY MOVING THE THROTTLE. ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER SO PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON REMAINING RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT HAD BEGAN A LEFT TURN AND PILOT ATTEMPTED TO REMAIN OVER THE RUNWAY BY INITIATING A TURN TO THE RIGHT. AIRCRAFT WAS UNRESPONSIVE. AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN A SLIGHT LEFT TURN NOSE DOWN POSITION AND THEN FLIPPED OVER IN THE GRASS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.