- Date
- May 23, 2009, 18:05 local (22:05 UTC)
- Place
- Lake City, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8035WAerotrike Safari
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Grand Rapids FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090523010659A
- Case key
- 73957
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 adequate airspeed during the initial climb.
Findings · 2
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
The pilot of the experimental weight-shift-control aircraft was performing a takeoff from runway 18 when the accident occurred. The pilot stated that during initial climb, about 10-12 feet above the ground, the aircraft began to descend and drift off of the runway centerline. The pilot was not able to correct for the descent and lateral drift before the aircraft landed hard on its rear landing gear. The right wing tip impacted the terrain as the aircraft bounced twice and tipped onto its side. The wing and its king post were substantially damaged during the accident. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. According to the pilot, the local surface winds were 3-5 knots from the west-southwest. A nearby weather station reported that the surface winds were 7 knots from the northwest.
Factual narrative
The experimental weight-shift-control aircraft was performing a takeoff from runway 18 when the accident occurred. The pilot stated that during initial climb, about 10-12 feet above the ground, the aircraft began to descend and drift off the runway centerline. The pilot was not able to correct for the descent and lateral drift before the aircraft landed hard on its rear landing gear. The right wingtip impacted the terrain as the aircraft bounced twice and tipped onto its side. The wing and its king post were substantially damaged during the accident. The pilot stated that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures. According to the pilot, the local surface winds were 3-5 knots from the west-southwest. A nearby weather station reported that the surface winds were 7 knots from the northwest.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8035W
- Reported as
- Aerotrike Safari
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- M5439499
- Airframe hours
- 183.27
- Engine
- Rotax 503 DCDI, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 13, 2009
- Departed
- Y91 · Lake City, MI
- Destination
- Y91 · Lake City, MI
- Airport
- Y91 · Home Acres Sky Ranch Airport, runway 18, 2,550 × 150 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
- 52
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 16, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 157 total · 69 in this make and model · 87 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KCAD, 11 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 23, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.