- Date
- January 5, 2011, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cambridge, OH
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N456KLPegasus 503 Sport
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20110105000159A
- Case key
- 78126
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 clearance from trees and terrain during the landing approach.
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 was returning from a local solo flight when the aircraft impacted trees and terrain about 200 feet short of the runway. The weight-shift-control, delta wing configured, light sport aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage structure. The pilot stated that the approach was lower than normal and that he added full throttle in an attempt to recover, but was unsuccessful. The pilot commented that the aircraft had encountered some turbulence during the flight. He speculated that the aircraft may have encountered a downdraft on short final. The pilot reported that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the aircraft. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. The pilot held a student pilot certificate and had received about 18 hours of instruction. However, he had not flown in the local area prior to the accident flight. The airport was located on the top of a hill; wind in the local area was from the southwest at 4 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot was returning from a local solo flight when the aircraft impacted trees and terrain about 200 feet short of the runway. The weight-shift control, delta wing configured, light sport aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage structure. The pilot stated that the approach was lower than normal. He noted that he added full throttle in an attempt to recover, but that was unsuccessful. The pilot commented that the aircraft had encountered some turbulence during the flight. He speculated that the aircraft may have encountered a downdraft on short final. The pilot reported that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the aircraft. A post accident examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a pre-impact failure or malfunction. The pilot held a student pilot certificate and had received about 18 hours of instruction. However, he had not flown in the local area prior to the accident flight. The airport was located on the top of a hill. Winds in the local area were recorded as light; southwest at 4 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N456KL
- Reported as
- Pegasus 503 Sport
- Category
- Ultralight
- Serial number
- 7591
- Airframe hours
- 530
- Engine
- Rotax 503 DCDI, 52 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 30, 2010
- Departed
- 2OA6 · Cambridge, OH
- Destination
- 2OA6 · Cambridge, OH
- Airport
- 2OA6 · Hilltop, runway 02, 2,090 × 52 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 20 total · 6 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- ZZV, 16 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 4, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 619 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.