- Date
- July 26, 2015, 09:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Eufaula, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N804EVEvektor-Aerotechnik Sportstar
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150726013039A
- Case key
- 91634
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 direction control during takeoff, and the pilot's failure to ensure that the canopy of the airplane was secured and locked prior to departure.
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 after completing his before takeoff checklist, the checklist was "blown" outside of the airplane. After he retrieved the checklist and restarted his engine, he stated that he "scanned all the instruments but did not go through the complete checklist". As the main landing gear lifted off the runway during the takeoff roll the canopy "popped up". The pilot stated that as he was attempting to close the canopy, the airplane drifted to the left of the runway and impacted trees about 8 feet above the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. 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 after completing his before takeoff checklist, the checklist was "blown" outside of the airplane. After he retrieved the checklist and restarted his engine, he stated that he "scanned all the instruments but did not go through the complete checklist". As the main landing gear lifted of the runway during the takeoff roll the canopy "popped up". The pilot stated that as he was attempting to close the canopy, the airplane drifted to the left of the runway and impacted trees about 8 feet above the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. 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
- N804EV
- Reported as
- Evektor-Aerotechnik Sportstar (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2006 0804
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 269.3
- Engine
- Rotax 912 ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 10, 2015 · 5.7 hours before
- Departed
- EUF · Eufaula, AL
- Destination
- 0J6 · Headland, AL
- Airport
- EUF · Weedon Field, runway 18, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS, Auto-pilot
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- March 14, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 385 total · 245 in this make and model · 358 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KEUF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 8, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 812 KB 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.