- Date
- June 7, 2009, 09:09 local (13:09 UTC)
- Place
- Cutchogue, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- UnregisterTeratorn Tierra
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 73989
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 decision to attempt takeoff from unsuitable terrain.
Findings · 3
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 recently installed a newly rebuilt engine in his unregistered experimental amateur-built airplane and completed a 1-hour break-in procedure the day prior to the accident. He was departing from a soft field and he believed that the engine got wet or that the propeller was damaged by mud or rocks during the takeoff, reducing thrust. The airplane gained only 40 to 50 feet of altitude before it impacted trees. The airplane incurred substantial damage to the empennage. The reason for loss of engine power was not determined. The pilot stated he should have taken the airplane back to his home base and not attempted the takeoff from the soft field.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he recently installed a newly rebuilt engine in his unregistered experimental amateur-built airplane and completed a 1-hour break-in procedure the day prior to the accident. He was departing from a soft farmer’s field and he believed the engine got wet or the propeller was damaged by mud or rocks during the takeoff, reducing thrust. The airplane gained only 40 to 50 feet of altitude before it impacted trees. The airplane incurred substantial damage to the empennage. The reason for loss of engine power was not determined. The pilot stated he should have taken the airplane back to his home base and not attempted the takeoff from the soft field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- Unregister
- Reported as
- Teratorn Tierra (II)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- n/a
- Airframe hours
- 341
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- Cutchogue, NY
- Destination
- 21N · Mattituck, NY
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 2 in this make and model · 280 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 160 °F, dew point 127 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- FOK, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 10, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 MB in all.