- Date
- May 17, 2009, 09:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Newark, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N912LMAirborne XT912
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 73859
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 inadequate preflight preparation, which led to the inability to accelerate to takeoff speed after encountering wet and soft runway conditions.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During takeoff from a grass runway, the aircraft's landing gear encountered a wet and soft area of runway. Due to the encounter with the wet and soft terrain, the pilot was unable to get the aircraft airborne. The pilot said that the aircraft "slowed down very fast" and the left wing tip impacted terrain. The wing sustained substantial damage and was reported to be "not repairable."
Factual narrative
During takeoff from a grass runway, the aircraft's landing gear encountered a wet and soft area of runway. Due to the encounter with the wet and soft terrain, the pilot was unable to get the aircraft airborne. The aircraft "slowed down very fast" and the left wing tip impacted terrain. The wing sustained substantial damage and was reported to be "not repairable." The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N912LM
- Reported as
- Airborne XT912
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- XT912-31
- Airframe hours
- 200
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL2, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ludwik Marchwicki
- Registered owner
- Ludwik Marchwicki
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 10, 2009
- Departed
- 0C8 · Newark, IL
- Destination
- 0C8 · Newark, IL
- Airport
- 0C8 · Cushing Field Ltd Airport, runway 33, 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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 259 total · 228 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 10, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 575 KB in all.