- Date
- April 5, 2014, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- La Belle, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N410KTTerry F King Zenith 701
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 2, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- FAA report
- 20140405005049A
- Case key
- 89042
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 airspeed after a total loss of engine power at takeoff, which resulted in a hard landing. Also causal was the pilot/owner/builder's improper installation of the magnetos which resulted in the engine power loss.
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/owner/builder reported that at 30 to 50 feet above the runway in a steep climb after takeoff, the engine stopped producing power. The airplane "nosed over quickly" and landed hard on the nose wheel, bounced, and landed hard on the nose wheel again, collapsing it, and causing substantial damage to the firewall and airframe. Examination of the airplane's engine by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed that both magnetos were improperly grounded at installation. The installation as found resulted in a degraded performance, and over time, resulted in a complete ignition failure and total loss of engine power.
Factual narrative
The pilot/owner/builder reported that at 30 to 50 feet above the runway in a steep climb after takeoff, the engine stopped producing power. The airplane "nosed over quickly" and landed hard on the nose wheel, bounced, and landed hard on the nose wheel again, collapsing it, and causing substantial damage to the firewall and airframe. Examination of the airplane's engine by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed that both magnetos were improperly grounded at installation. The installation as found resulted in a degraded performance, and over time, resulted in a complete ignition failure and total loss of engine power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N410KT
- Reported as
- Terry F King Zenith 701
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 8565
- Built
- 2012
- Airframe hours
- 58
- Engine
- Cont Motor C85-12F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- King Terry F
- Registered owner
- King Terry F
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 12, 2013 · 58 hours before
- Departed
- X14 · La Belle, FL
- Destination
- X14 · La Belle, FL
- Airport
- X14 · La Belle Municipal, runway 14, 5,254 × 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
- 71
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 500 total · 58 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- RSW, 22 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 14, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB 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.