20180225003109A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Airborne Windsports PTY EDGE XT-912-L · Eustis, FL · February 25, 2018

Date: February 25, 2018 · 08:10 local
Place: Eustis, FL
Airport: Mid Florida Air Service
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N98YW
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA18LA089
Reported as: Airborne Windsports PTY Edge XT-912-L
Reported engine: ROTAX 912UL
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Sport pilot

N98YWRegistration cancelled Mar 6, 2021 · Airborne Windsports PTY EDGE XT-912-LS/N XT-912-0339 · Built 2009 Airframe modelAirborne Windsports PTY EDGE XT-912-L Engine modelRotax 912UL series4 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.

Witness reported that the pilot taxied to runway 18; and added enough power to get the aircraft off the ground (about 10-20 feet). The witness reported that the pilot did that for the full length of the runway (3200 feet), he said that the pilot was able to become Airborne three times. The witness said that the pilot repeated the process, but when he became Airborne the third time he continued to climb to pattern altitude for runway 18. The aircraft entered the left downwind for runway 18 and witness reported a normal traffic pattern was flown. The aircraft impacted the ground about 100 feet north west of the approach end of runway 18 (about 50 feet from runway centerline). The debris area was small (within 10 feet from main wreckage). The pilot died at the scene.

As the FAA filed it

WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE PILOT TAXIED TO RUNWAY 18; AND ADDED ENOUGH POWER TO GET THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE GROUND (ABOUT 10-20 FEET). THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE PILOT DID THAT FOR THE FULL LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY (3200 FEET), HE SAID THAT THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO BECOME AIRBORNE THREE TIMES. THE WITNESS SAID THAT THE PILOT REPEATED THE PROCESS, BUT WHEN HE BECAME AIRBORNE THE THIRD TIME HE CONTINUED TO CLIMB TO PATTERN ALTITUDE FOR RUNWAY 18. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 18 AND WITNESS REPORTED A NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN WAS FLOWN. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 100 FEET NORTH WEST OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 18 (ABOUT 50 FEET FROM RUNWAY CENTERLINE). THE DEBRIS AREA WAS SMALL (WITHIN 10 FEET FROM MAIN WRECKAGE). THE PILOT DIED AT THE SCENE.

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 ERA18LA089Accident · 1 fatalClass 2 · LimitedFinal reportEustis, FLThe pilot's exceedance of the weight-shift-control aircraft's critical angle of attack while maneuvering for landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in the…Feb 25, 2018 · Substantial damage