- Date
- May 9, 2009, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Madison, MS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N248DRRichard Rank KitFox 4
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090509019959A
- Case key
- 73807
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 aircraft control during an aborted formation takeoff.
Findings · 2
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 pilot stated that he was departing from runway 17 about 75 yards behind another airplane in tandem formation. During the takeoff roll, the lead airplane aborted the takeoff. The second airplane was near rotation speed when the pilot aborted the takeoff as well. Wanting not to get too close to the lead airplane, he departed the runway off the left side. The airplane became airborne, stalled, and the left wing tip impacted the ground, spinning the airplane and resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated he was departing from runway 17 behind another airplane in tandem formation. During the take off roll, the lead airplane aborted the takeoff; they had about 75 yards of separation. His airplane was near rotation speed when he aborted the takeoff as well. Wanting not to get too close to the lead airplane, he departed the runway off the left side. The airplane became airborne, stalled, and the left wing tip impacted the ground, spinning the airplane, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N248DR
- Reported as
- Richard Rank KitFox 4 (1200)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- ACS112
- Engine
- Bombardier-Rotax 582, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Tony R Clark
- Registered owner
- Tony R Clark
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- MBO · Madison, MS
- Destination
- MBO · Madison, MS
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- MBO · Madison, runway 17, 4,444 × 75 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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 250 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- JAN, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 23, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 64 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.