# NTSB CEN11LA090: Southerland Freebird Litesport U, N415US, Decatur, IL, December 2, 2010 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 2, 2010, 14:06 local (20:06 UTC) - Place: Decatur, IL - Coordinates: 39.835277, -88.840278 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8353&lon=-88.8403&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report April 20, 2012 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 77929 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN11LA090 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/77929/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=77929 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11LA090 ## Probable cause The pilot's reported inability to control his amateur-built airplane for undetermined reasons after the airplane inadvertently became airborne while conducting a high-speed taxi. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: pitch control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible (probable cause); cases with it: [Southerland Lawrence P FREEBIRD LITESPORT U, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md?model=05629S3), [All aircraft, 526 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md) - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Southerland Lawrence P FREEBIRD LITESPORT U, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=05629S3), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Southerland Lawrence P FREEBIRD LITESPORT U, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=05629S3), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Southerland Lawrence P FREEBIRD LITESPORT U, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05629S3), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was performing a high-speed taxi in his amateur-built airplane when it inadvertently became airborne. The inadvertent flight was the airplane's first flight. The pilot requested a landing clearance and was given one. The pilot reported that he had trouble getting the airplane's nose down. He reported a MAYDAY and indicated that he had no control of the airplane. He was given a clearance to land on any runway. During his last transmission, the pilot reported that he could not keep the nose down. The airplane was observed descending tail-end down and then nose down. The airplane impacted the ground, coming to rest about two miles east of the airport. An on-scene examination of the airplane revealed that the wing separated from the fuselage. The separation was consistent with overload. No other anomalies were detected. The on-scene investigation did not document center of gravity or trim settings. ## Factual narrative On December 2, 2010, about 1406 central standard time, an experimental amateur-built Southerland Freebird Litesport Ultra airplane, N415US, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain following an in-flight loss of control while maneuvering after climbout from runway 18 at the Decatur Airport (DEC), near Decatur, Illinois. The personal flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot was fatally injured. The local flight departed about 1359 and was returning to DEC at the time of the accident. The pilot had requested a high-speed taxi clearance and the air traffic control tower cleared him to perform a high-speed taxi on runway 18. During the high-speed taxi, the airplane became airborne. The pilot requested a landing clearance and was given one. The pilot reported that he had trouble getting the airplane's nose down. He subsequently told the control tower that he had a MAYDAY. He indicated that he had "no control" of the airplane. He was given a clearance to land on any runway. His last transmission was that he "can't seem to keep the nose down." The airplane was observed by airport rescue and firefighting personnel to come "tail-end down" and then "nose down." The airplane came to rest about two miles east of DEC in a field near the 7300 block of Ridge Road. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)inspectors examined the wreckage on-scene. The airplane's right wing separated from the fuselage in flight and it came to rest about 285 feet east of the main wreckage. The pilot was found about 63 feet west of the main wreckage. The examination and review of photographs taken of the wreckage revealed the separation was consistent with overload. No other anomalies were detected. A FAA designated pilot examiner issued the pilot a FAA sport pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating on November 1, 2010, after the pilot had passed his airman examination using the designated examiner's Flightstar IISC airplane. The pilot reported on the application for that sport pilot certificate that he had accumulated a total flight time of 60.7 hours of which 15.2 hours were as pilot-in-command flight time. N415US was a single-engine, high-wing, experimental amateur-built Southerland Freebird Litesport Ultra airplane. Airworthiness documents indicated the airplane was powered by a Chevy Geo Metro G10 three cylinder 4 stroke engine. A FAA designated airworthiness representative inspected the airplane and issued its special airworthiness certificate on October 15, 2010. The inadvertent flight was the airplane's first flight. At 1354, the recorded weather at DEC was: Wind 230 degrees at 6 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition few 1,400 feet, overcast 4,300 feet; temperature 1 degree C; dew point -3 degrees C; altimeter 30.17 inches of mercury. An autopsy was performed on the 55-year-old pilot by the MaconCounty Coroner's Office. The cause of death was listed as multiple injuries due to an aircraft accident. The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute prepared a Final Forensic Toxicology Accident Report. The report, in part, stated: Desmethylsertraline detected in Spleen Desmethylsertraline detected in Spinal Fluid Desmethylsertraline detected in Gastric 1.101 (ug/mL, ug/g) Desmethylsertraline detected in Blood (Cavity) Desmethylsertraline detected in Muscle Desmethylsertraline detected in Kidney Desmethylsertraline detected in Vitreous Desmethylsertraline detected in Brain Sertraline detected in Gastric 1.323 (ug/mL, ug/g) Sertraline detected in Blood (Cavity) Sertraline detected in Muscle Sertraline detected in Kidney Sertraline detected in Brain Sertraline detected in Spleen Sertraline detected in Spinal Fluid A family member indicated that the pilot was taking an antidepressant for work stress. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N415US](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N415US-2013-09-20), registration cancelled 2013-09-20, S/N 1, built 2010 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: SOUTHERLAND FREEBIRD LITESPORT U - Registry model: [Southerland Lawrence P FREEBIRD LITESPORT U](https://openairdocs.org/model/southerland-lawrence-p-freebird-litesport-u) (registry code 05629S3) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG](https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (registry code 99999) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 1 - Engines: Chevy Geo Metro reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Departed: DEC, Decatur, IL - Destination: DEC, Decatur, IL - Airport: DEC, Decatur Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; injuries: fatal; sport pilot; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: sport pilot; seat: front; toxicology performed; flight hours: 61 total, 15 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 230° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 4,300 ft overcast - Temperature: 34 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 30.17 inHg - Observed at: DEC, 2 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20101202053539A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20101202053539A), Dec 2, 2010: Southerland FREEBIRD LI, Decatur, IL, Destroyed, 1 fatal. N415US requested an ATC clearance to conduct a high speed taxi and a possible "crow hop". The tower cleared the aircraft for high speed taxi runway 18. The… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 2, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=77929. 1.1 MB in all. - Transcript of Radio Communications (item 1, .PDF, 49 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40343814&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Transcript%20of%20Radio%20Communications-Master.PDF - Witness Statement (item 2, .PDF, 50 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40351305&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement-Master.PDF - Miscellaneous - Record of Communication (item 3, .PDF, 50 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40355466&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Miscellaneous%20-%20Record%20of%20Communication-Master.PDF - Miscellaneous - Airplane Logbood Excerpt (item 4, .PDF, 318 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40348155&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Miscellaneous%20-%20Airplane%20Logbood%20Excerpt-Redacted.PDF - Toxicological Report (item 5, .PDF, 647 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40348136&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report-Redacted.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.