- Date
- October 17, 2019, 10:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Monument Valley, UT
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N771TXFlight Design Ctls
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191017020169A
- Case key
- 100449
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 lateral control and to attain adequate altitude during takeoff with a quartering tailwind in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in impact with a sandy berm left of the runway.
Findings · 6
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 with a quartering tailwind of 10 knots, gusting to 20 knots, and as soon as the wheels lifted off, the airplane's tail was pushed to the left. He straightened the tail and maintained wings-level flight; however, the airplane continued drifting left. The pilot reported that, due to the tailwind and high altitude, the airplane was getting very little lift. The airplane subsequently impacted a sandy berm off the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The sport pilot reported that during takeoff with a quartering tailwind of 10 knots, gusting up to 20 knots, as soon as the wheels left the pavement, the tail was pushed to the left. He straightened the tail and maintained wings level; however, the airplane was drifting to the left. The pilot reported that due to the tailwind and high altitude, he was getting very little lift. The airplane subsequently contacted sandy terrain on the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N771TX
- Reported as
- Flight Design Ctls (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- F-10-01-03
- Built
- 2010
- Airframe hours
- 756.3
- Engine
- Rotax 912 ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2019
- Departed
- UT25 · Monument Valley, UT
- Destination
- PGA · Page, AZ
- Airport
- UT25 · Monument Valley, runway 34, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS, Stall warning system, Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, Airframe parachute, ADS-B
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
- 73
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- March 13, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 201 total · 116 in this make and model · 143 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Observed at
- KBDG, 48 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 5, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.