- Date
- January 30, 2011, 13:51 local (18:51 UTC)
- Place
- Immokalee, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N818RJExcalibur Excalibur
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110130001589A
- Case key
- 78236
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 a high speed taxi test resulting in unintentional flight and ground collision.
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 pilot reported that he was completing high speed taxi tests when the airplane inadvertently became airborne. The airplane climbed to about 50 to 70 feet above ground level and the pilot attempted to touch back down to land. The airplane descended quickly and he applied right rudder and pushed the controls forward. The airplane impacted the ground, incurring substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Documentation provided by the airplane manufacturer recommended against high speed taxi.
Factual narrative
According to several pilots that were in the traffic pattern, the pilot announced over the common traffic advisory frequency that he was taking off from runway 36. In a statement to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot reported that he was completing high speed taxi tests when the airplane inadvertently became airborne. The airplane climbed to about 50 to 70 feet above ground level before the pilot pushed the controls forward to land. The airplane descended "fast" and the pilot pulled back in order to arrest the descent. Then, he applied right rudder, pushed forward on the controls again, and the airplane impacted the ground, and incurred substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Documentation provided by the manufacturer recommended against high speed taxi. Despite several requests, the pilot did not submit a Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, form 6120, to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N818RJ
- Reported as
- Excalibur Excalibur
- Category
- Ultralight
- Serial number
- 11199
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Randall Donofrio
- Registered owner
- Randall Donofrio
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- IMM · Immokalee, FL
- Destination
- IMM · Immokalee, FL
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- IMM · Immokalee Regional, runway 09, 5,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- Serious
- Medical
- Unknown
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 0 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft indefinitevv
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- RSW
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 2, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 517 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.