- Date
- May 30, 2015, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mocksville, NC
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2305JSmiley James E RAG Wing RW-6
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 27, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150530008329A
- Case key
- 91342
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 loss of directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a building.
Findings · 4
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 during the takeoff roll, the tailwheel equipped airplane encountered a gust a wind from the left, and veered to the right side of the runway. The pilot attempted to abort the takeoff after the airplane exited the right side of the runway, but then added power to continue the takeoff. The airplane did not respond to control inputs while attempting to turn back towards the runway, and impacted a building. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, the tailwheel equipped airplane encountered a gust a wind from the left, and veered to the right side of the runway. The pilot attempted to abort the takeoff after the airplane exited the right side of the runway, but then added power to continue the takeoff. The airplane did not respond to control inputs while attempting to turn back towards the runway, and impacted a building. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2305J
- Reported as
- Smiley James E RAG Wing RW-6 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 131
- Engine
- Rotax 503-DCDI, 52 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 28, 2014
- Departed
- 5NC2 · Mocksville, NC
- Destination
- 8A7 · Mocksville, NC
- Airport
- 5NC2 · Sugar Valley, runway 20, 2,424 × 36 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 78
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Last flight review
- October 8, 2014
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 795 total · 128 in this make and model · 750 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KEXX, 16 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 10, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.