- Date
- July 4, 2018, 09:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- San Saba, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N127VVZenair Zenith Stol CH 701
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180704009079A
- Case key
- 97697
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 landing flare during the aborted takeoff, which resulted in a hard landing and a nose-over.
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, during takeoff, he applied right rudder to counteract the left turning tendencies of the airplane, but the airplane continued left of the runway centerline. He was unable to correct back to the runway centerline when the airplane was about 5 to 10 ft above the ground, so he decided to abort the takeoff and land on the grass left of the runway. During the landing, the airplane landed hard, the nose landing gear "dug" into the grass, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during takeoff, he applied right rudder to counteract the left turning tendencies of the airplane, but the airplane continued to the left of the runway centerline. He was unable to correct back to runway centerline, about 5 to 10 ft above the ground, so he decided to abort the takeoff and land on the grass to the left of the runway. During the landing, the airplane landed hard and the nose landing gear "dug in" to the grass and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N127VV
- Reported as
- Zenair Zenith Stol CH 701 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 74326
- Built
- 2003
- Airframe hours
- 816.5
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 8, 2017
- Departed
- 81R · San Saba, TX
- Destination
- AQO · Llano, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 81R · San Saba County Muni, runway 13, 4,205 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS, Onboard weather, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction 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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- May 18, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 581.2 total · 6.3 in this make and model · 469.8 as pilot in command · 25.3 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 0.3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Observed at
- KAQO, 27 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 4, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 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.