- Date
- April 16, 2015, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Gulf Shores, AL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N415PMP&M Pulsr
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150416004499A
- Case key
- 91042
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 the takeoff roll, which resulted in a collision with the ground.
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 reported that he was conducting his first flight in the new light-sport weight-shift control aircraft, which he purchased about 1 month prior. During the takeoff roll, he inadvertently applied a right steering control input and then over-corrected to the left. The left wing contacted the ground, and the aircraft rolled over onto its left side, which resulted in substantial wing and fuselage damage. The pilot reported that he did not experience any preaccident malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. He further reported about 1,200 hours of total fight experience, which included about 1,000 hours in similar weight-shift control aircraft.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was conducting his first flight in the new light-sport weight-shift control aircraft, which he purchased about 1 month prior. During the takeoff roll, he inadvertently applied a right steering control input and then over-corrected to the left. The left wing contacted the ground, and the aircraft rolled over onto its left side, which resulted in substantial wing and fuselage damage. The pilot reported that he did not experience any preaccident malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. He further reported about 1,200 hours of total fight experience, which included about 1,000 hours in similar weight-shift control aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N415PM
- Reported as
- P&M Pulsr
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- 8705
- Built
- 2015
- Airframe hours
- 2
- Engine
- Rotax 912 ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Departed
- JKA · Gulf Shores, AL
- Destination
- JKA · Gulf Shores, AL
- Airport
- JKA · Jack Edwards, runway 09, 6,962 × 100 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
- 73
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Private, Sport Pilot, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot, Unknown
- Last flight review
- April 10, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 990 in this make and model · 1,150 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Icing
- Unknown
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- JKA
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 28, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.