What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 16, 2020 at 1454 local time, a Aerotechnik L-13 seh vivat powered glider, N334BA, registered to and operated by a private pilot, received substantial damage during an aborted takeoff from runway 27 at the william ?tiny? Zehnder field airport (66G), Frankenmuth, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and passenger both received minor injuries. The local flight originated from the alkay airport (51G), clio, Michigan at approximately 1400L.
According to the pilot he had just completed a full stop landing and back taxied to the end of runway 27. During the takeoff run the aircraft seemed to accelerate normally but would not climb above 10-15 feet AGL. The pilot raised the landing gear as lift started to decay. At this point, the pilot realized the speed brakes were still deployed from the last landing. Immediately, the pilot retracted the speed brakes just as the aircraft impacted the runway and skidded approximately 100 yards coming to rest in a 6 foot deep ditch at the airport property boundary. Both the pilot and passenger were trapped inside the cockpit until law enforcement and medical first responders arrived on scene. Both the pilot and passenger were taken to a local hospital for treatment and released that evening. There was no post impact fire nor ELT deployment.
Photographs show the aircraft setting upright in the ditch. The engine and mount are still attached with the firewall partially broken free from the fuselage and canted upward. Both propeller blades are shattered at the propeller hub. The left wing is canted downward at the wing root. The aft fuselage shows impact crush damage mid-point. According to the pilot, the canopy latching mechanisms were both jammed, preventing egress from the aircraft following the accident.
Weather was not a factor in this accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 16, 2020 AT 1454 LOCAL TIME, A AEROTECHNIK L-13 SEH VIVAT POWERED GLIDER, N334BA, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 27 AT THE WILLIAM ?TINY? ZEHNDER FIELD AIRPORT (66G), FRANKENMUTH, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER BOTH RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE ALKAY AIRPORT (51G), CLIO, MICHIGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 1400L.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE HAD JUST COMPLETED A FULL STOP LANDING AND BACK TAXIED TO THE END OF RUNWAY 27. DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN THE AIRCRAFT SEEMED TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY BUT WOULD NOT CLIMB ABOVE 10-15 FEET AGL. THE PILOT RAISED THE LANDING GEAR AS LIFT STARTED TO DECAY. AT THIS POINT, THE PILOT REALIZED THE SPEED BRAKES WERE STILL DEPLOYED FROM THE LAST LANDING. IMMEDIATELY, THE PILOT RETRACTED THE SPEED BRAKES JUST AS THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY AND SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS COMING TO REST IN A 6 FOOT DEEP DITCH AT THE AIRPORT PROPERTY BOUNDARY. BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE TRAPPED INSIDE THE COCKPIT UNTIL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVED ON SCENE. BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT AND RELEASED THAT EVENING. THERE WAS NO POST IMPACT FIRE NOR ELT DEPLOYMENT.
PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THE AIRCRAFT SETTING UPRIGHT IN THE DITCH. THE ENGINE AND MOUNT ARE STILL ATTACHED WITH THE FIREWALL PARTIALLY BROKEN FREE FROM THE FUSELAGE AND CANTED UPWARD. BOTH PROPELLER BLADES ARE SHATTERED AT THE PROPELLER HUB. THE LEFT WING IS CANTED DOWNWARD AT THE WING ROOT. THE AFT FUSELAGE SHOWS IMPACT CRUSH DAMAGE MID-POINT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE CANOPY LATCHING MECHANISMS WERE BOTH JAMMED, PREVENTING EGRESS FROM THE AIRCRAFT FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT.
WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THIS 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.