- Date
- August 15, 1998, 15:25 local (20:25 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Geneva, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N17NTValentin Taifun 17E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 19, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980815020929A
- Case key
- 43747
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 directional control and obtain proper climb rate during initial climb after takeoff. A factor was trees.
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 pilot said that the airplane settled during initial climb into trees off the right side of the runway. Witnesses said that the airplane attained a steep nose high condition after liftoff, climbed to about 50 to 60 feet above ground level, prior to impact with trees. One witness thought the airplane encountered a stall prior to impact. Subsequent to the accident an examination of the airplane failed to reveal any pre-accident anomalies with the airplane or its systems.
Factual narrative
On August 15, 1998, at 1525 central daylight time, a Valentin GMBH Taifun 17E (Motorglider), N17NT, operated by a private pilot, experienced a collision with trees on initial climb after takeoff from runway 5 (4,100' X 75' dry/asphalt) when the airplane drifted to the right of the runway, at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The pilot reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight was originating at the time of the accident with the intended destination of Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The pilot said in his written statement that the airplane climbed to an altitude of 100 to 150 feet during the initial climb, but began to settle. He said that he considered turning back to the runway; however elected to maintain wings level. The airplane settled into the trees. He indicated that rotation speed was 43 knots and he maintained 60 knots until impact.
One eyewitness told investigators that he watched the airplane takeoff and revealed that on liftoff, he observed the right wing drop and the airplane to start a right turn. He said that he observed the airplane wings to level; however, he said that the airplane was to the right of the runway. He said that at this point he observed "the pitch attitude of the aircraft look abnormally high." The witness said that the airplane continued to climb until impact with trees.
A second eyewitness related to investigators similar observations as the first witness, adding that the airplane climbed to an "altitude of 50-60 feet, stalled and pancaked into the trees."
An examination of the airplane subsequent to the accident failed to reveal any pre-accident anomalies with the airplane or its systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N17NT
- Reported as
- Valentin Taifun 17E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1046
- Airframe hours
- 288
- Engine
- Limbach 2000EBI, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Skycoach, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 7, 1998 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- C02
- Destination
- ENW · Kenosha, WI
- Airport
- C02 · Grand Geneva, runway 5, 4,100 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 337 total · 90 in this make and model · 158 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JVL, 30 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.