# Accident 20160731012669A: Trick Trikes STORM, Valkaria, FL, July 31, 2016

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 31, 2016, 07:00 local time
- Place: Valkaria, FL
- Airport: Valkaria/Brevard
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 27.9614° N, 80.5594° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.9614&lon=-80.5594&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4367X, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4367X-2016-12-01) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Trick Trikes STORM (registry code 059002A, https://openairdocs.org/model/trick-trikes-storm) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax 582SER (registry code 55556, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-582ser) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: TRICK TRIKES STORM
- Reported engine: ROTAX 582
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Sport pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 250 total, 205 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA16CA278](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16CA278) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160731012669A

## Narrative

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

EYE-WITNESS STATEMENT BY FRIEND & WIFE OF PILOT INVOLVED IN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT:

THIS DATE JULY 31, 2016, I WITNESSED AN AIRCRAFT (WEIGHT-SHIFT CONTROL) TAKING-OFF ON RUNWAY 14 WITH A PASSENGER.

UPON TAKE-OFF THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED-OFF TO ABOUT 4 TO 6 FEET AND CAME BACK DOWN TOUCHING WHEELS AND CONTINUED TO LIFT-OFF A SECOND & THIRD TIME AGAIN ABOUT 4 TO 6 FEET, AND ON THE THIRD CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY, AS THE WHEELS TOUCHED DOWN, THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BROKE. THE AIRCRAFT LEANED LEFT AND SCRAPED TO A HALT.

THE PASSENGER OF THE ACCIDENT A/C MADE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:

ON SUNDAY, JULY 31ST,2016, AT VALKARIA AIRPORT (ABOUT 07:00 IN THE MORNING) AFTER PREFLIGHT CHECK OFFS, ^MIKE^ THE PILOT & I DECIDED TO WALK TOWARDS HIS AIRCRAFT FOR TAKE-OFF. AT THIS TIME, ^BOB^, ANOTHER PILOT & HIS WIFE WERE NOT QUITE READY TO TAKE OFF. WE TAXIED OUT TO THE RUNWAY FROM THE HANGER, ^MIKE^ STARTED TO EXPLAIN WHAT TO ANTICIPATE AND THE COURSE OF OUR FLIGHT. AS WE APPROACHED THE BEGINNING OF THE RUNWAY, HE EXPLAINED THAT WE WOULD LOSE COMMUNICATION FOR A MINUTE WHILE HE CHECKED TO SEE IF THE AIRSPACE WAS CLEAR. AFTER VERIFICATION, WE WERE BACK IN COMMUNICATION AND PROCEEDED DOWN THE RUNWAY. WE STARTED DOWN THE RUNWAY AND APPROACHED OUR RUNWAY SPEED OF 60 MPH. AFTER HITTING OUR TARGET SPEED, ^MIKE^ PUSHED THE HANDLEBAR AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO RISE.

AFTER ABOUT FIVE TO SIX FEET IN THE AIR SOMETHING WENT WRONG. RIGHT AFTER, THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DIVE DOWN. ^MIKE ATTEMPTED^ TO SLOW DOWN/STOP THE AIRCRAFT BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. OUR FIRST HIT WAS NOSE FIRST, THE AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED TO GO UP AND DOWN ANOTHER TWO TIMES. ON THE THIRD HIT THE AIRCRAFT FELL ON THE LEFT SIDE AND A WHEEL BROKE (I'M NOT SURE IF MORE THAN ONE WHEEL BROKE). AFTER, IT PULLED US DOWN THE RUNWAY (THE DISTANCE UNKNOWN). AFTER WE CAME TO A STOP, ^MIKE^ WAS SITTING ON THE RUNWAY WITH THE AIRCRAFT LAYING ON HIS BACK. I WAS LAYING ON THE RUNWAY WITH MY LEFT LEG TRAPPED IN THE AIRCRAFT FROM WHAT I BELEIVE TO BE THE SEAT AND SEATBELT. I PROCEEDED TO YELL TO ^MIKE^ "I THINK I BROKE MY LEG". HE WAS ABLE TO UNLEASH MY SEATBELT AND/OR MOVE THE AIRCRAFT TO RELEASE MY LEG. ONCE I WAS FREE, I KNEW MY LEFT LEG WAS BROKEN, AS THE BONE WAS EXPOSED. ^MIKE^ BEGAN TO STATE THAT HE THOUGHT HIS HIP WAS BROKEN. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED ON HIS BACK UNTIL HELP ARRIVED.

## 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 ERA16CA278](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16CA278), Jul 31, 2016: Trick Trikes Storm (N4367X), Valkaria, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s premature rotation during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a hard landing.

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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