ATL07CA108

NTSB accident investigation · Evektor Aerotechnic Sportstar · Shirley, NY · July 26, 2007

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
July 26, 2007, 06:05 local (10:05 UTC)
Place
Shirley, NY
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N604EVEvektor Aerotechnic Sportstar
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report March 31, 2008
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Farmingdale FSDO-11
Case key
66309

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed resulting in a stall. Contributing to the accident was the student pilots failure to relinquish the flight controls when instructed to do so.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of control - in flightGo-around (vfr)
Relinquishing of control - not performedDual studentFactor
Stall - inadvertent
Airspeed - inadequateDual studentCause
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled
Terrain condition - ground

Analysis

The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that the accident flight was his first flight with the student. The CFI advised the student before the flight departed that he would be pilot-in-command if anything were to occur. He also briefed the student on the traffic pattern, air work that included slow-flight, and steep turns. They performed a preflight before takeoff, and no discrepancies were noted. With the student flying the airplane, the flight departed and remained in the traffic pattern; they were the only aircraft in the traffic pattern at the time. The airplane proceeded on the upwind leg, turned crosswind to downwind, and during the downwind leg the CFI advised the student that the aircraft was abeam the runway. When the flight was abeam the numbers, the student lowered the flaps to the first notch, reduced power, and then turned onto the base leg where he lowered the flaps to the second notch. The student pilot turned onto final and with a slight right crosswind, the student flared too high, and the CFI grabbed the controls and advised the student he had the controls. The CFI initiated a go-around by applying full power, but the student still had his hands on the controls. The airplane pitched up into a power-on stall. The aircraft banked to the left then impacted the ground. The CFI advised the student two times he had the controls. The CFI stated that there were no problems with the engine or the flight controls.

Factual narrative

The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that the accident flight was his first flight with the student. The CFI advised the student before the flight departed that he would be pilot-in-command if anything were to occur. He also briefed the student on the traffic pattern, air work that included slow-flight, and steep turns. They performed a preflight before takeoff, and no discrepancies were noted. With the student flying the airplane, the flight departed and remained in the traffic pattern; they were the only aircraft in the traffic pattern at the time. The airplane proceeded on the upwind leg, turned crosswind to downwind, and during the downwind leg the CFI advised the student that the aircraft was abeam the runway. When the flight was abeam the numbers, the student lowered the flaps to the first notch, reduced power, and then turned unto the base leg where he lowered the flaps to the second notch. The student pilot turned onto final and with a slight right crosswind, the student flared to high, and the CFI grabbed the controls advised the student he had the controls. The CFI initiated a go-around by applying full power, but the student still had his hands on the controls. The airplane pitched up into a power-on stall. The aircraft banked to the left then impact of the ground. The CFI advised the student two times he had the controls. The CFI stated that there were no problems with the engine or the flight controls.

Aircraft

Registration
N604EV
Reported as
Evektor Aerotechnic Sportstar
Category
Airplane
Serial number
2COGC6C6
Airframe hours
191
Engine
Rotax 914LS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Mid-Island Air Services, Inc., doing business as Mid-Island Air Services, Inc.
Registered owner
Mid-Island Air Services, Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Special light-sport (Special)
Last inspection
100 hour · May 1, 2007 · 92 hours before
Departed
HWV · Shirley, NY
Destination
HWV · Shirley, NY
Airport
HWV · Brookhaven, runway 15, 4,220 × 150 ft, asphalt

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Flight instructor
Age
25
Injuries
None
Certificates
Flight instructor, Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
February 1, 2006
Seat
Right
Flight hours
1,420 total · 24 in this make and model · 1,300 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
200° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
73 °F, dew point 63 °F
Altimeter
30.19 inHg
Observed at
HWV, 1 nm away