- Date
- February 5, 2006, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Presidio, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N560SCRalph Sanders Murphy Acft Elite
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Lubbock, Texas
- FAA report
- 20060205001059A
- Case key
- 63196
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 during the takeoff roll.
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 3,000-hour commercial pilot of a single-engine experimental tail-wheel equipped airplane reported that he lost directional control resulting in a ground loop during the takeoff roll on a 5,500-feet long by 80-feet wide asphalt runway. The winds were reported as light and variable at the time of the accident. The pilot reported having accumulated a total of 20 hours in the same make and model of airplane and stated that the accident could have been prevented by additional flight training. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The 3,000-hour commercial pilot of a single-engine experimental tail-wheel equipped airplane reported that he lost directional control resulting in a ground loop during the takeoff roll on a 5,500-feet long by 80-feet wide asphalt runway. The winds were reported as light and variable at the time of the accident. The pilot reported having accumulated a total of 20 hours in the same make and model of airplane and stated that the accident could have been prevented by additional flight training. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N560SC
- Reported as
- Ralph Sanders Murphy Acft Elite
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 561
- Airframe hours
- 100
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lyle Koen
- Registered owner
- Ralph S. Sanders
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · December 1, 2005 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- 3ET3 · Presidio, TX
- Airport
- 3TE3 · Big Bend Ranch State Park Apt, runway 08, 5,500 × 80 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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 20 in this make and model · 2,700 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.