- Date
- February 17, 2006, 15:14 local (21:14 UTC)
- Place
- Wichita, KS
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N437TSpane RV-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20060217002669A
- Case key
- 63242
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 inadequate preparation prior to takeoff, and his failure to maintain control of the airplane resulting in a stall and subsequent crash. Factors contributing to the accident were the unsecured canopy latch, the pilot's diverted attention, and the stall mush.
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 he did his run-up check and took the runway for takeoff. The airplane rotated, took off, and was climbing when approximately 80 feet above the ground, the canopy opened. The pilot said the canopy went to the full open position and the airplane subsequently yawed 45 degrees right. The pilot lowered the airplane's nose, applied full left rudder, and reduced the engine power to idle. The pilot said he then switched hands on the control stick and with his right hand, reached up and pulled the canopy closed. He said his airspeed was just above the stall speed and his wings were level. The airplane was approximately 20 feet above the ground when it "pancaked perfectly flat to the side of the runway." An examination of the airplane canopy latching mechanism and other airplane systems revealed no anomalies.
Factual narrative
On February 17, 2006, approximately 1514 central standard time, a Spane RV-4, N437T, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during takeoff from the Colonel James Jabara Airport (AAO), Wichita, Kansas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR part 91 without a flight plan. At the time of the accident, the pilot and passenger on board the airplane suffered serious injuries. Nine days after the accident, the passenger, also the pilot's wife, died. The cross country flight to Mexico, Missouri, was originating at the time of the accident.
Witnesses reported that during takeoff roll, the canopy came open. The pilot tried to close the canopy. The airplane got airborne, went into a nose high attitude, and then came down hard. The airplane subsequently went off the right side of runway 36 (6,100 feet by 100 feet, dry concrete).
The pilot said that he did his run-up check and took the runway for takeoff. The airplane rotated, took off, and was climbing when approximately 80 feet above the ground, the canopy opened. The pilot said the canopy went to the full open position and the airplane subsequently yawed 45 degrees right. The pilot lowered the airplane's nose, applied full left rudder, and reduced engine power to idle. The pilot said he then switched hands on the control stick and with his right hand, reached up and pulled the canopy closed. He said his airspeed was just above the stall speed and his wings were level. The airplane was approximately 20 feet above the ground when it "pancaked perfectly flat to the side of the runway."
An examination of the airplane showed the left and right main landing gear pushed upward through the wings. The airplane's fuselage skin showed heavy wrinkling. The horizontal stabilizer was bent downward. The propeller showed torsional bending and chordwise scratches. Flight control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the canopy latching mechanism and other airplane systems revealed no anomalies.
At 1454, the wind conditions at AAO were reported as 030 degrees at 12 knots, gusts to 19 knots.
According to the pilot, his wife's body was unable to recover from the post-accident surgeries, and "she expired 9 days after the accident."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N437T
- Reported as
- Spane RV-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 84
- Airframe hours
- 112.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Roger L. Spane
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · June 1, 2005 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- AAO · Wichita, KS
- Destination
- MYJ · Mexico, MO
- Airport
- AAO · Colonel James Jabara, runway 36, 6,100 × 100 ft, concrete
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
- 66
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2004
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 844 total · 86 in this make and model · 844 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 23 °F, dew point 3 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.59 inHg
- Observed at
- AAO, 1 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.