20190806017059I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Robinson Lyle ZODIAC 601XL · Independence, KS · August 6, 2019

Date: August 6, 2019 · 11:10 local
Place: Independence, KS
Airport: Harmony Valley
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N718LR
Reported as: Robinson Lyle Zodiac 601XL
Reported engine: Lycoming O-234
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 105 total1 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days

N718LRRegistration cancelled Feb 7, 2026 · Robinson Lyle ZODIAC 601XLS/N 5984 Airframe modelRobinson Lyle ZODIAC 601XL

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.

N718LR, a zodiac 601XL amateur built experimental aircraft, was at the harmoney valley airport (16KS) for painting. The airman and sole occupant had taxied out to runway 9, with calm wind, intending to return to coffeyville municipal airport. He stated that the grass runway had been recently mowed but was rougher than he recalled on his inbound flight to 16KS. The airman stated the aircraft pulled to the left (north) as he applied power for takeoff and raised the nose for a soft field takeoff. He stated that he applied rudder to correct but was afraid to apply too much. The airman aborted the takeoff as the aircraft encountered taller grass outside the mowed portion. He stated the nose wheel dug into the ground and broke off as he was steering to avoid structures along and to the north of the runway. Aircraft came to rest north of the runway with minor additional damage and no injuries. Airman training is planned in accordance with compliance action.

As the FAA filed it

N718LR, A ZODIAC 601XL AMATEUR BUILT EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT, WAS AT THE HARMONEY VALLEY AIRPORT (16KS) FOR PAINTING. THE AIRMAN AND SOLE OCCUPANT HAD TAXIED OUT TO RUNWAY 9, WITH CALM WIND, INTENDING TO RETURN TO COFFEYVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. HE STATED THAT THE GRASS RUNWAY HAD BEEN RECENTLY MOWED BUT WAS ROUGHER THAN HE RECALLED ON HIS INBOUND FLIGHT TO 16KS. THE AIRMAN STATED THE AIRCRAFT PULLED TO THE LEFT (NORTH) AS HE APPLIED POWER FOR TAKEOFF AND RAISED THE NOSE FOR A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF. HE STATED THAT HE APPLIED RUDDER TO CORRECT BUT WAS AFRAID TO APPLY TOO MUCH. THE AIRMAN ABORTED THE TAKEOFF AS THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED TALLER GRASS OUTSIDE THE MOWED PORTION. HE STATED THE NOSE WHEEL DUG INTO THE GROUND AND BROKE OFF AS HE WAS STEERING TO AVOID STRUCTURES ALONG AND TO THE NORTH OF THE RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST NORTH OF THE RUNWAY WITH MINOR ADDITIONAL DAMAGE AND NO INJURIES. AIRMAN TRAINING IS PLANNED IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPLIANCE ACTION.