- Date
- August 15, 2008, 13:25 local (18:25 UTC)
- Place
- Vinland Valley, KS
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N226MBAerotrike Spirit
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Wichita, KS
- FAA report
- 20080815849709A
- Case key
- 68776
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 flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the sport aircraft on 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 certified flight instructor and student pilot had just departed in the flight instructor's experimental light sport (weight-shift) aircraft when it began to drift to the left of the runway centerline. The flight instructor, who was also on the controls with the student pilot, reported that there was a three mile per hour crosswind from the right, so they both moved the bar to the left to correct for the wind and positioned the aircraft back to the right and over the runway centerline. However, once the correction was made, the aircraft continued to drift to the right. The instructor stated that he was telling the student to move the control bar to the right, and the student said he was trying but he was unable to lift the wing. The instructor, who was still on the controls, said that he was also trying to lift the wing but to no avail and the aircraft continued to bank sharply to the right. When the airplane's bank angle reached approximately 45 degrees, the instructor realized that the aircraft was going to stall so he pushed the control bar forward. The aircraft hit the ground with the right wing and came to rest about 300 feet to the right of the runway in a plowed field. Examination of the airplane revealed the wing and frame sustained substantial damage. The propeller was also damaged. No pre mishap discrepancies were noted with the airframe or the engine.
Factual narrative
The certified flight instructor and student pilot had just departed in the flight instructor's experimental light sport (weight-shift) aircraft when the it began to drift to the left of the runway centerline. The flight instructor, who was also on the controls with the student pilot, reported that there was a three mile per hour crosswind from the right, so they both moved the bar to the left to correct for the wind and positioned the aircraft back to the right and over the runway centerline. However, once the correction was made, the aircraft continued to drift to the right. The instructor stated that he was telling the student to move the control bar to the right, and the student said he was trying but he was unable to lift the wing. The instructor, who was still on the controls, said that he was also trying to lift the wing but to no avail and the aircraft continued to bank sharply to the right. When the airplane's bank angle reached approximately 45 degrees, the instructor realized that the aircraft was going to stall so he pushed the control bar forward. The aircraft hit the ground with the right wing and came to rest about 300 feet to the right of the runway in a plowed field. Examination of the airplane revealed the wing and frame sustained substantial damage. The propeller was also damaged. No pre mishap discrepancies were noted with the airframe or the engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N226MB
- Reported as
- Aerotrike Spirit
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- 226
- Engine
- Rotax UL503DCDI, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Michael E. Brock
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Departed
- K64 · Vinland Valley, KS
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 47
- Certificates
- Sport Pilot, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Flight hours
- 287 total · 214 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Flight hours
- 14 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.