- Date
- July 21, 1997, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Memphis, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N913RAvid IV
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970721046909A
- Case key
- 3882
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft during takeoff. A factor in the accident was the repositioning of the control stick.
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.
Analysis
The pilot of the homebuilt stated that he had just completed an adjustment to the elevator pushrod to reposition the control stick. During takeoff, at about 55 miles per hour the airplane lifted off due to the new stick position and he lost control. The airplane veered right and impacted a fence off the side of the runway.
Factual narrative
On July 21, 1997, about 1600 eastern daylight time, a Homebuilt Avid Mark IV, N913R, collided with a fence shortly after takeoff at the General Spain Airport, Memphis, Tennessee. The airplane was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions existed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged.
The pilot stated to the FAA, that he had made some adjustments to the elevator pushrod to adjust the position of the control stick. During takeoff, at about 55 miles per hour the airplane lifted off due to the new stick position and he lost control. The airplane veered right and impacted a fence off the side of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N913R
- Reported as
- Avid IV
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1390D
- Airframe hours
- 12
- Engine
- Unknown, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Arthur D. Mcmurtry
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · May 14, 1997 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- M01
- Airport
- M01 · General Spain, runway 16, 3,800 × 75 ft, grass/turf
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 75
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 12 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.