20180712011009A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Eckberg D R/Marr R RUTAN DEFIANT · Plainville, CT · July 12, 2018

Date: July 12, 2018 · 10:42 local
Place: Plainville, CT
Airport: Robertson
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N17DR
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA18FA189
Reported as: Eckberg D R/Marr R Rutan Defiant
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 766 total286 in this make and model

N17DRRegistration cancelled Jul 27, 2021 · Eckberg D R/Marr R RUTAN DEFIANTS/N 7007 · Built 2004 Airframe modelEckberg D R/Marr R RUTAN DEFIANT Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

On July 12, 2018, about 10:42 eastern daylight time, a Rutan Defiant, N17DR, impacted terrain while in a traffic pattern at Robertson field airport (4B8), Plainville, Connecticut. The experiemntal, amateur built airplane was substantially damaged. The private pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was registered to the pilot and was operated under provisions of 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The flight originated about 10:37 am. The pilot was observed climbing out of runway 2 and veered to the left. The aircraft was 150-200 feet AGL near the FBO. The airplane continued in a steep (80-90 degree) left bank until it disappeared below the horizon out of view and crashed into a city-owned landfill. There was no smoke trailing the airplane. The observer heard at least one engine running at the time of the accident.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 12, 2018, ABOUT 10:42 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A RUTAN DEFIANT, N17DR, IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE IN A TRAFFIC PATTERN AT ROBERTSON FIELD AIRPORT (4B8), PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT. THE EXPERIEMNTAL, AMATEUR BUILT AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REGISTERED TO THE PILOT AND WAS OPERATED UNDER PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 10:37 AM. THE PILOT WAS OBSERVED CLIMBING OUT OF RUNWAY 2 AND VEERED TO THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS 150-200 FEET AGL NEAR THE FBO. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED IN A STEEP (80-90 DEGREE) LEFT BANK UNTIL IT DISAPPEARED BELOW THE HORIZON OUT OF VIEW AND CRASHED INTO A CITY-OWNED LANDFILL. THERE WAS NO SMOKE TRAILING THE AIRPLANE. THE OBSERVER HEARD AT LEAST ONE ENGINE RUNNING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

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 ERA18FA189Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportPlainville, CTThe pilot's loss of airplane control during climb for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.Jul 12, 2018 · Substantial damage