- Date
- April 11, 2017, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Windsor Twp, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3846TLazear John T Zenair Stol CH 701
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20170411007059A
- Case key
- 94992
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 improper pretakeoff planning, his failure to maintain adequate airspeed, and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a short-field takeoff with a tailwind, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Findings · 6
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 of the experimental, amateur-built airplane reported that he attempted to take off on a grass portion of his property that extended about 1,000 ft before reaching power lines. During takeoff on an approximate 130° heading, he noticed the airplane was not climbing fast enough to clear the power lines. He pulled up "hard" to clear the power lines but stalled the airplane. The left wing dipped down, and the airplane impacted the ground. The right wing separated from the fuselage, and the empennage was crushed behind the wings. Both main landing gear separated from the fuselage, and the nose landing gear folded back under the engine compartment. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He added that he thought the wind was swirling and that the airplane may have encountered some wind shear. The recorded wind at an airport located about 13 miles west of the accident site, about the time of the accident, was from 320° at 4 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane reported that he attempted to takeoff on a grass portion of his property, that extended about 1,000 ft prior to reaching powerlines. During takeoff on an approximate 130° heading, he noticed the airplane was not climbing fast enough to clear the powerlines. He pulled up "hard" to clear the powerlines but stalled the airplane. The left wing dipped down and the airplane impacted the ground. The right wing separated from the fuselage and the empennage was crushed behind the wings. Both main landing gear separated from the fuselage, and the nose gear folded back under the engine compartment. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. He added that he thought the wind was swirling and may have encountered some windshear. The recorded wind at an airport located about 13 miles west of the accident site, about the time of the accident, was from 320° at 4 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3846T
- Reported as
- Lazear John T Zenair Stol CH 701 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 73696
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 469
- Engine
- Bombardier ROTAX 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 31, 2016 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- Windsor Twp, PA
- Destination
- LNS · Lancaster, PA
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 42
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 835 total · 85 in this make and model · 740 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KTHV, 13 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 20, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.