- Date
- December 1, 2017, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mount Airy, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N701TFTodd Foley Zenith 701
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 21, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171201022279A
- Case key
- 96414
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 exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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 of the experimental, amateur-built airplane reported that, during takeoff, he raised the nose after reaching about 20 mph, and about 40 mph, the airplane lifted off the runway. He "held the stick back just a little [too] long and it started to tip stall to the left and [he] pushed the stick forward." He added that he applied right aileron and rudder because the airplane was drifting to the left side of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane aerodynamically stalled and bounced on the runway, and the right wheel separated from the airplane. He then, with full power, continued to fly and make right aileron and rudder inputs to get back over the runway. The airplane impacted the ground and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and wings. The automated weather observation system at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 090° at 4 knots. The pilot was departing from runway 18.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane reported that, during takeoff, he raised the nose after reaching about 20 miles per hour (mph), and about 40 mph the airplane lifted off the runway. He "held the stick back just a little [too] long and it started to tip stall to the left and [he] pushed the stick forward." He added that he applied right aileron and rudder because the airplane was drifting to the left side of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane aerodynamically stalled, bounced on the runway and the right wheel separated from the airplane. He then, with full power, continued to fly and make right aileron and rudder inputs to get back over the runway. The airplane impacted the ground and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage and wings. The automated weather observation system at the accident airport reported, that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 090° at 4 knots. The pilot was departing on runway 18.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N701TF
- Reported as
- Todd Foley Zenith 701 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 4714
- Built
- 2016
- Airframe hours
- 8
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 4, 2017
- Departed
- MWK · Mount Airy, NC
- Destination
- MWK · Mount Airy, NC
- Airport
- MWK · Mount Airy/Surry County, runway 18, 4,301 × 75 ft, asphalt
- 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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 22, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 185 total · 185 in this make and model · 125 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KMWK
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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.