- Date
- July 10, 2011, 09:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cubero, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N377JGRans S7
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Albuquerque FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110710025139A
- Case key
- 81079
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 attain rotation speed prior to takeoff.
Findings · 1
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 reported that he was taking off from a remote, dirt airstrip with a slight tailwind. He said that he rotated before reaching rotation speed and lost control shortly after lift off. The airplane descended, struck a fence,nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the wing spar and wing strut. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was taking off from the remote dirt airstrip with a slight downhill slope and a slight tail wind. The pilot stated that he rotated too soon and the airspeed was too slow. He lost control immediately after liftoff and the airplane struck a fence, flipped inverted and struck terrain. There was substantial damage to the wing spar and wing strut. The pilot reported that there was no preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N377JG
- Reported as
- Rans S7 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0206428
- Airframe hours
- 384
- Engine
- Rotax 912 ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · March 10, 2011
- Departed
- NONE · Cubero, NM
- Destination
- AEG · Albuquerque, NM
- Airport
- NONE · L Bar Ranch Airstrip, runway 18, 4,200 × 100 ft, dirt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Last flight review
- October 11, 2008
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 792 total · 89 in this make and model · 792 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KAEG, 25 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 31, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 386 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.