- Date
- June 16, 2009, 06:00 local (12:00 UTC)
- Place
- Harrison, NE
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2811PSabre 2PL
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090616010769A
- Case key
- 74074
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
A loss of directional control for undetermined reasons.
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 sport pilot was performing a takeoff from a private grass strip for his first solo flight in a weight-shift airplane. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane entered an uncommanded left bank. The pilot attempted to level the wing, but was unable to regain control of the weight-shift airplane. The weight-shift airplane continued a left turn, descended, and impacted terrain. The cause of the uncommanded left bank could not be determined. Due to the remote location, an examination of the wreckage was not conducted by a federal agency.
Factual narrative
The sport pilot was performing a takeoff from a private grass strip for his first solo flight in a weight-shift airplane. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane entered an uncommanded left bank. The pilot attempted to level the wing, but was unable to regain control of the weight-shift airplane. The weight-shift airplane continued a left turn, descended, and impacted terrain. The cause of the uncommanded left bank could not be determined. Due to the remote location, an examination of the wreckage was not conducted by a federal agency.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2811P
- Reported as
- Sabre 2PL
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- S020648
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dan Coffee
- Registered owner
- Pitman Ed D
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- Harrison, NE
- Destination
- Harrison, NE
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- runway 36, 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
- 60
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Sport Pilot, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- June 5, 2001
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 15 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- Calm
- Temperature
- 50 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 30, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 589 KB 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.