- Date
- January 25, 2011, 12:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Terlingua, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N947RGCulver Glenn Kitfox III
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20110125000579A
- Case key
- 78246
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 loss of directional control on takeoff.
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 practicing takeoffs and landings on a dirt strip in his single-engine experimental light sport aircraft when he decided to make a full-stop landing and taxi back for another takeoff. While on the takeoff roll at a high rate of speed, and before the tail was raised, the nose of the airplane veered to the left and the pilot used the right rudder pedal to maintain directional control but accidentally hit the toe brake. As a result, the airplane turned about 110 degrees to the right and collided with the ground and scrub brush before it came up on its nose. The wooden propeller was shattered and a portion of the airframe and both wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical deficiencies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot was practicing touch and go landings on a dirt strip in his single-engine experimental light sport aircraft when he decided to make a full stop landing and taxi back for another take off. While on the take off roll at a high rate of speed, and before the tail was raised, the nose of the airplane veered to the left and the pilot used the right rudder pedal to maintain directional control but accidentally hit the toe brake. As a result, the airplane turned about 110 degrees to the right and the airplane collided with the ground and scrub brush with both wing tips before it came up on its nose. The wooden propeller was shattered and a portion of the airframe and both wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported there were no pre-mishap mechanical deficiencies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N947RG
- Reported as
- Culver Glenn Kitfox III
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 789
- Engine
- Bombardier ROTAX (ALL), reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles Pickett
- Registered owner
- Charles Pickett
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- 3TE8 · Terlingua, TX
- Destination
- 3TE8 · Terlingua, TX
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 3TE8 · C Fulcher Ranch, runway 13
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 67
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 4 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 4, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 456 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.