What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 8, 2019, at 0938 pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur built airplane, N123GN, a lockwood aviation Aircam, sustained substantial damage after impacting the runway surface during a takeoff attempt at Hemet-Ryan Airport (hmt), Hemet, California.
The Aircam kit was purchased by the pilot/builder in 2017 and took 2 years to complete with help from his friends. After completion, the aircraft was certificated. A designated airworthiness representative issued the airworthiness certificate with phase I & ii operating limitations, June 1, 2019. The phase I operating limitations contain test flight instructions.
The aircraft accident occurred on the first flight of the phase I test flight period.
The pilot?s friend recorded the accident from the ground with a smart cell phone. The video shows the aircraft begin to roll slowly down the runway for a few seconds before beginning his take-off roll. Approximately 400 feet into his ground roll, the aircraft lifted and he initiated a normal climb. Two seconds after lift-off, nearing 20 feet above ground level, the left wing failed and collapsed upwards. The aircraft began to roll left as the right wing began to fail. The aircraft continued to roll left until it impacted the runway inverted. The aircraft came to rest at the left hand edge of runway 23, approximately 580 feet from the beginning of the runway. All major sections of the aircraft were accounted for at the crash site.
The pilot was fatally injured in the accident. He held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multi-engine land, airplane single-engine land, and instrument airplane. Additionally, he held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine sea. The pilot?s most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on June 5, 2018, which did not include any limitations.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 8, 2019, AT 0938 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT AIRPLANE, N123GN, A LOCKWOOD AVIATION AIRCAM, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER IMPACTING THE RUNWAY SURFACE DURING A TAKEOFF ATTEMPT AT HEMET-RYAN AIRPORT (HMT), HEMET, CALIFORNIA.
THE AIRCAM KIT WAS PURCHASED BY THE PILOT/BUILDER IN 2017 AND TOOK 2 YEARS TO COMPLETE WITH HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS. AFTER COMPLETION, THE AIRCRAFT WAS CERTIFICATED. A DESIGNATED AIRWORTHINESS REPRESENTATIVE ISSUED THE AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE WITH PHASE I & II OPERATING LIMITATIONS, JUNE 1, 2019. THE PHASE I OPERATING LIMITATIONS CONTAIN TEST FLIGHT INSTRUCTIONS.
THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE PHASE I TEST FLIGHT PERIOD.
THE PILOT?S FRIEND RECORDED THE ACCIDENT FROM THE GROUND WITH A SMART CELL PHONE. THE VIDEO SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT BEGIN TO ROLL SLOWLY DOWN THE RUNWAY FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE BEGINNING HIS TAKE-OFF ROLL. APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET INTO HIS GROUND ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED AND HE INITIATED A NORMAL CLIMB. TWO SECONDS AFTER LIFT-OFF, NEARING 20 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE LEFT WING FAILED AND COLLAPSED UPWARDS. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO ROLL LEFT AS THE RIGHT WING BEGAN TO FAIL. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ROLL LEFT UNTIL IT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY INVERTED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AT THE LEFT HAND EDGE OF RUNWAY 23, APPROXIMATELY 580 FEET FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE RUNWAY. ALL MAJOR SECTIONS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE CRASH SITE.
THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. HE HELD A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH RATINGS FOR AIRPLANE MULTI-ENGINE LAND, AIRPLANE SINGLE-ENGINE LAND, AND INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE. ADDITIONALLY, HE HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH A RATING FOR AIRPLANE SINGLE-ENGINE SEA. THE PILOT?S MOST RECENT THIRD-CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS ISSUED ON JUNE 5, 2018, WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE ANY LIMITATIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.