- Date
- June 3, 2015, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sharpsville, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N51120Rans S 12XL
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150603008279A
- Case key
- 91302
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 directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a building.
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 reported that while taking off from his private airstrip, a gust of wind "hit" his airplane. He corrected for the gust, but when the gust stopped he was unable to correct "quick enough" to keep the airplane in line with the runway. The airplane struck the pilot's barn roof which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while taking off from his private airstrip, a gust of wind "hit" his airplane. He corrected for the gust, but when the gust stopped he was unable to correct "quick enough" to keep the airplane in line with the runway. The airplane struck the pilot's barn roof which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51120
- Reported as
- Rans S 12XL (XL)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 06960730
- Built
- 1996
- Airframe hours
- 167.5
- Engine
- Jabiru 2200A, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Tackett Gary L
- Registered owner
- Tackett Gary L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 13, 2015
- Departed
- N/A · Sharpsville, IN
- Destination
- N/A · Sharpsville, IN
- Airport
- N/A · Private Airstrip, runway 18, 977 × 192 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
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
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 350 total · 250 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KOKK, 9 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 21, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.0 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.