- Date
- September 20, 2007, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Barton City, MI
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3653Siebert RV-9A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Grand Rapids FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070920021889A
- Case key
- 66993
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 adequate airspeed and aircraft control during initial climb after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the gusting wind condition.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane departed to the northwest from a private grass airstrip situated behind the pilot's residence. The passenger reported that shortly after takeoff the airplane encountered a large wind gust that pushed the airplane to the left (southwest). After encountering a second wind gust, the airplane banked sharply and then descended vertically into trees and terrain. The passenger recalled that the airstrip's windsock did not indicate that there was significant wind prior to the accident flight. The pilot had no recollection of the accident flight. A weather observation station located about 16 nm south-southeast of the accident site reported the wind was from the east at 5 knots with no gusts. Another weather observation station located about 23 nm west of the accident site reported the wind was from the west-southwest at 4 knots, gusting to 10 knots.
Factual narrative
On September 20, 2007, around 1600 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Siebert RV-9A, N3653, owned and piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from a private airstrip near Barton City, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The airplane departed to the northwest from a private grass airstrip situated behind the pilot's residence. The northwest/southeast airstrip was about 1,160 feet long. The passenger reported that shortly after takeoff the airplane encountered a large wind gust that pushed the airplane to the left (southwest). After encountering a second wind gust, the airplane banked sharply and then descended vertically into trees and terrain. The passenger recalled that the airstrip's windsock did not indicate that there was significant wind prior to the accident flight. The pilot had no recollection of the accident flight.
A weather observation station located about 16 nm south-southeast of the accident site reported the wind was from the east at 5 knots with no gusts.
Another weather observation station located about 23 nm west of the accident site reported the wind was from the west-southwest at 4 knots, gusting to 10 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3653
- Reported as
- Siebert RV-9A
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 90209
- Airframe hours
- 86
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 1, 2007 · 86 hours before
- Departed
- PVT · Barton City, MI
- Destination
- PVT · Barton City, MI
- Airport
- PVT · Private Airstrip, runway 31, 1,161 × 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 144 total · 86 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- OSC, 16 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.