- Date
- May 29, 2023, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lodi, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N994TAKolb Firestar SS
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230529011159A
- Case key
- 192259
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 control during takeoff.
Findings · 3
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 during takeoff from a grass runway, a sudden wind gust from the rear caused the airplane to weathervane to the right and lose lift. The pilot was unable to correct for the gust before the airplane impacted the ground and nosed over. Both wings and the empennage were substantially damage during the nose over. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was taking off on runway 27 with wind from 150° at 6 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N994TA
- Reported as
- Kolb Firestar SS
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 456
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 108
- Engine
- Hirth 3203, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 28, 2023
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 9WN5 · Lodi Lakeland, runway 27, 1,900 × 105 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 85
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,226 total · 108 in this make and model · 1,200 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KDLL, 16 nm away
- METAR
- KDLL 291555Z AUTO 15006KT 10SM CLR 25/05 A3006 RMK AO2 T02520054
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 MB 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.