20210911015569A

ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 07:50 LOCAL TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL LIGHT-SPORT AIRCRAFT A MODEL CHALLENGER II, N788H, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OPERATED BY A NON-CERTIFICATED PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY SECONDS AFTER BEGINNING TAKEOFF ROLL ON RUNWAY 27 AT ROGERS CITY AIRPORT (PKZ), IN ROGERS CITY MI. THE POINT OF IMPACT AND THE FINAL RESTING SPOT IS APPROXIMATELY 500FT TO THE WEST OF THE BEGINNING OF RUNWAY 27 AND 140FT FROM THE START OF THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE TITLE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND MINOR INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

THE PILOT STATED HE PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND THE 10-GALLON TANK WAS FULL OF RECREATIONAL FUEL AND HAD BEEN TOPPED OFF AT THE END OF THE LAST FLIGHT. THE PILOT STATED THE WINDS WERE CALM AND THE WINDSOCK LOOKED TO BE ABOUT HALF FULL WITH WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST. THE PILOT INDICATED ON TAKEOFF ROLL OUT IT FELT LIKE HE WAS BEING PUSHED TO THE RIGHT, FELT A BANG AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT LEAPT OFF THE GROUND AND PERFORMED A RIGHT ROLL INTO THE RUNWAY.

THE AIRPORT MANAGER WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT FROM THE TERMINAL RAMP LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 4,000FT WEST ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AT THE END OF RUNWAY 27. THE MANAGER SAID HE WATCHED THE AIRCRAFT TAXI OUT AND POSITION FOR TAKE-OFF ON RUNWAY 27. AFTER A BRIEF DELAY, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN FORWARD MOVEMENT, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY PITCHED UP AND THEN AN IMMEDIATE ROLL TO THE RIGHT FOLLOWED BY LEFT WING CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AND COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. HE STATED THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP ENOUGH FOR HIM TO SEE THE COMPLETE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE, WINGS, AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER SURFACES WHICH BARELY CLEARED CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE AFTER CRUSHING THE LEFT WING AND WITH THE RIGHT WING IN A NEAR VERTICAL POSITION

THE MANAGER ARRIVED ON SCENE IMMEDIATELY AND NOTED THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AND APPEARED TO BE AT IDLE. THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN VIA IGNITION SWITCH AND MASTER SWITCH THEN HE CHECKED PILOT AND HE WAS UNRESPONSIVE BUT HAD A PULSE.

ON SCENE OBSERVATIONS: AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE HAD ALREADY BEEN MOVED INTO A HANGAR AND HAD BEEN PLACED BACK ONTO ITS LANDING GEAR PRIOR TO ARRIVAL. THE LEFT WING AND LEFT SIDE OF THE NOSE STRUCTURE TOOK MOST OF THE IMPACT DAMAGE. LEFT WING IMPACTED FIRST FROM A NEAR VERTICAL POSITION COMING STRAIGHT DOWN AND FORWARD MOMENTUM PUSHED LEFT WING BACK AND CAUSED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TUBULAR NOSE STRUCTURE TO IMPACT THE RUNWAY AND BENT NOSE STRUCTURE AND UPPER SQUARE ROOT TUBE TO THE RIGHT.

INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE NOTED FULL CONTINUITY OF FLIGHT CONTROL TO FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES. THROTTLE WAS IN A RETARDED POSITION NEAR IDLE. THE CHALLENGER II USES A FLAPERON SYSTEM AND EXAMINATION OF THE JACK SCREW THAT OPERATES IT SHOWED IT TO BE IN THE MIDDLE POSITION. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE RIGHT WING FORWARD LIFT STRUT LOWER ATTACH POINT HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. UPON CLOSER EXAMINATION THE BOLT THAT GOES THROUGH THE LOWER BRACKET AND THEN THROUGH THE LONGERON HAD PULLED COMPLETELY OUT AND WAS MISSING THE NYLOCK NUT. IT WAS ALSO NOTED THE BOLT AND BOLT THREADS WERE COMPLETELY UNDAMAGED AS WAS THE MOUNT HOLE THROUGH THE LONGERON.