20180811014189A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Smith Fred D HORNET · St. George, UT · August 11, 2018

Date: August 11, 2018 · 08:51 local
Place: St. George, UT
Airport: St. George Regional Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N218B
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR18LA217
Reported as: Smith Fred D Hornet
Reported engine: HIRTH 2706
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,800 total

N218BRegistration cancelled Jun 27, 2023 · Smith Fred D HORNETS/N 0018 Airframe modelSmith Fred D HORNET Engine modelHirth 27062 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.

On 8/11/2018 at 0846 mountain standard time (MST), N218B, a Smith Fred D. Hornet, was captured on an airport security camera taxiing to runway 1. At 0851 MST the aircraft is seen in a steep left bank right after takeoff and still over the runway. The left wing contacted the runway followed by the nose of the aircraft impacting the edge of the runway and cartwheeling onto the right wingtip. The aircraft landed on the main gear wheels and continued to travel backwards coming to rest twenty-five yards from the edge of the runway. Weather data retrieved from the national weather service reported 10.00 mile visibility, clear, and winds of 11 miles per hour (mph) out of the east at 0756 MST and 9 mph at 0856 MST. According to the U.S. Light aircraft corp. specifications, the gross weight is 1,000 pounds and stall speed is 32 mph. There was one person on board the aircraft sustaining fatal injuries.

As the FAA filed it

ON 8/11/2018 AT 0846 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME (MST), N218B, A SMITH FRED D. HORNET, WAS CAPTURED ON AN AIRPORT SECURITY CAMERA TAXIING TO RUNWAY 1. AT 0851 MST THE AIRCRAFT IS SEEN IN A STEEP LEFT BANK RIGHT AFTER TAKEOFF AND STILL OVER THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE RUNWAY FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTING THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY AND CARTWHEELING ONTO THE RIGHT WINGTIP. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON THE MAIN GEAR WHEELS AND CONTINUED TO TRAVEL BACKWARDS COMING TO REST TWENTY-FIVE YARDS FROM THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. WEATHER DATA RETRIEVED FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE REPORTED 10.00 MILE VISIBILITY, CLEAR, AND WINDS OF 11 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) OUT OF THE EAST AT 0756 MST AND 9 MPH AT 0856 MST. ACCORDING TO THE U.S. LIGHT AIRCRAFT CORP. SPECIFICATIONS, THE GROSS WEIGHT IS 1,000 POUNDS AND STALL SPEED IS 32 MPH. THERE WAS ONE PERSON ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINING FATAL INJURIES.

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 WPR18LA217Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportSt. George, UTThe pilot's loss of airplane control during takeoff due to an unexpected gust of wind.Aug 11, 2018 · Substantial damage