- Date
- July 14, 2008, 12:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- St Louis, MO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N134JWStits SA3A
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- St Louis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080714844589A
- Case key
- 68443
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 during takeoff.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The 2,500 hour private pilot was conducting a normal takeoff in a single seat amateur built airplane from the dry 3,120 foot long turf runway and reported that he lost control of the airplane and was unable to climb out of ground effect. The left wing and the nose of the airplane struck the ground, and airplane landed upright. There was substantial damage to the forward firewall, engine mounts, landing gear, and left wing, but only minor injuries to the pilot. The pilot reported he had owned the airplane for 18 years and there was nothing wrong with the engine or with the performance of the airplane. He said he was "just too far behind" the airplane and it "got away" from him because it was "so quick and difficult to control". Weather reported at the time of the accident was 10 miles visibility, with few clouds at 5,000 feet, westerly winds at 5 knots, with a temperature of 87 degrees and dew point of 57degrees.
Factual narrative
The 2,500 hour private pilot was conducting a normal takeoff in a single seat amateur built airplane from the dry 3,120 foot long turf runway and reported that he lost control of the airplane and was unable to climb out of ground effect. The left wing and the nose of the airplane struck the ground, and airplane landed upright. There was substantial damage to the forward firewall, engine mounts, landing gear, and left wing, but only minor injuries to the pilot. The 77 year old pilot reported he had owned the airplane for 18 years and there was nothing wrong with the engine or with the performance of the airplane. He said he was "just too far behind" the airplane and it "got away" from him because it was "so quick and difficult to control". Weather reported at the time of the accident was 10 miles visibility, with few clouds at 5,000 feet, westerly winds at 5 knots, with a temperature of 87 degrees and dew point of 57degrees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N134JW
- Reported as
- Stits SA3A
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JW-1
- Airframe hours
- 680
- Engine
- Continental C85 Series, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert P. Meyer
- Registered owner
- Meyer Robert P
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2006
- Departed
- 1H0 · St Louis, MO
- Airport
- 1H0 · Creve Coeur, runway 25, 3,120 × 220 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
- 77
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 600 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KSTL, 6 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.