- Date
- November 22, 2020, 16:33 local (21:33 UTC)
- Place
- Placida, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N947RCJ&J Ultralights Sea-Wing
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20201122015979A
- Case key
- 102329
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/owner’s improper preflight inspection of the weight-shift trike, which resulted in a loss of control at takeoff due to an improperly adjusted wingtip.
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 departing from a road in the weight-shift control aircraft. At takeoff, the aircraft “pulled to the left” and struck a tree off the paved surface as the pilot aborted the takeoff. Afterwards, the pilot stated there were no mechanical deficiencies with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operations, and that the pull was likely due to an improperly adjusted wingtip.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N947RC
- Reported as
- J&J Ultralights Sea-Wing
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- SWJ583604038
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 165.8
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 64 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 12, 2020 · 2 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- None
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
- 50
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 220 total · 30 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KPGD, 15 nm away
- METAR
- KPGD 222253Z 01006KT 10SM FEW043 24/19 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP162 T02440194
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 26, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 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.