- Date
- August 17, 2017, 15:40 local (22:40 UTC)
- Place
- Moses Lake, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8230SAerotechnik L 13 SEH Vivat
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170817010379A
- Case key
- 95840
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 takeoff configuration due to his failure to follow the pretakeoff checklist, which resulted in a loss of lift and collision with obstacles.
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
According to the powered-glider pilot, during takeoff, he noticed a slower-than-usual acceleration but continued the departure. He reported that, "after lift-off, the glider exhibited a poor climb rate although the engine was running smooth." Moments later, the glider stopped climbing and then descended and struck the roof of a building located about 800 ft southwest of the departure end of the runway. The glider came to rest upright after colliding with another structure and was consumed by a postcrash fire. The pilot recalled that, during the startup sequence, he was "anxious to get back to my home base" and that he had not used the checklist. The pilot reported that he had taken off with the propeller in the cruise setting and the wing spoilers deployed. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the powered-glider pilot, during takeoff he noticed a slower than usual acceleration, but continued the departure. He reported that, "after lift-off the glider exhibited a poor climb rate although the engine was running smooth." Moments later, the glider stopped climbing, then descended and struck the roof of a building located about 800ft southwest of the departure end of the runway. The glider came to rest upright, after colliding with another structure, and was consumed by a post-crash fire. The pilot recalled that during the startup sequence, he was, "anxious to get back to my home base" and that he had not used the checklist. The pilot reported that he had taken off with the propeller in the cruise setting and the wing spoilers deployed. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the glider that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8230S
- Reported as
- Aerotechnik L 13 SEH Vivat (SEH)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 930504
- Built
- 1993
- Airframe hours
- 401.5
- Engine
- Aerotecnik MIKRON III, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 24, 2016
- Departed
- WA40 · Moses Lake, WA
- Destination
- EAT · Wenatchee, WA
- Airport
- W20 · Moses Lake Muni, runway 16, 2,500 × 50 ft, asphalt
- 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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 2, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,867 total · 0.1 in this make and model · 38 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KMWH, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 1, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 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.