- Date
- May 18, 2006, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Corpus Christi, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N72260Mahoney Evans VP-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FSDO, Houston, TX
- FAA report
- 20060518008439A
- Case key
- 63706
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 of the airplane. A contributing factor was the dust devil/whirlwind.
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 206-hour private pilot reported that he had just taken off from runway 17 at a private airstrip when "at approximately 100 feet above ground level (AGL), a gust of wind from the left blew the airplane knife edge." The pilot stated that he "attempted to correct with hard left rudder and left stick." However, at the time he applied the corrections the gust of wind had subsided and he began to enter a "slow left spiral." The pilot added that he made several attempts to stop the spin; however, he was unsuccessful and the aircraft impacted the ground in a left wing low, nose down attitude. The pilot reported that there were "dust devils" in the area prior to takeoff and that he thought he had encountered one and overcorrected. According to the pilot, the engine and flight controls were functioning correctly, at the time of the accident. The automated weather observation facility at located approximately 7 nautical miles north of the accident site reported winds from 200 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 17 knots.
Factual narrative
The 206-hour private pilot reported that he had just taken off from runway 17 at a private airstrip when "at approximately 100 feet above ground level (AGL), a gust of wind from the left blew the airplane knife edge." The pilot stated that he "attempted to correct with hard left rudder and left stick." However, at the time he applied the corrections the gust of wind had subsided and he began to enter a "slow left spiral." The pilot added that he made several attempts to stop the spin; however, he was unsuccessful and the aircraft impacted the ground in a left wing low, nose down attitude. The pilot reported that there were "dust devils" in the area prior to takeoff and that he thought he had encountered one and overcorrected. According to the pilot, the engine and flight controls were functioning correctly, at the time of the accident. The automated weather observation facility at located approximately 7 nautical miles north of the accident site reported winds from 200 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 17 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72260
- Reported as
- Mahoney Evans VP-1
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- TM003
- Airframe hours
- 90
- Engine
- Volkswagen 1915cc, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 1, 2005
- Departed
- 69TA · Corpus Christi, TX
- Destination
- Corpus Christi, TX
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
- Minor
- Certificates
- Private, Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2006
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 206 total · 4 in this make and model · 206 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 13 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- CRP, 7 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.