- Date
- June 17, 2005, 09:25 local (13:25 UTC)
- Place
- Waterbury, CT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N13BHValentin Taifun 17E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20050617012139A
- Case key
- 61739
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 pilots inadvertent encounter with a downdraft, which resulted in the airplane impacting trees.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During the takeoff climb, when the airplane reached an altitude of 35 feet, it encountered a downdraft caused by trees on the west side of the runway. The airplane seemed to "sag," was unable to continue its climb, and impacted the tree line. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane. Witnesses also reported that the takeoff and initial climb appeared normal; however, at about 30 feet the airplane did not continue to accelerate or climb prior to impacting the trees.
Factual narrative
On June 17, 2005, at 0925 eastern daylight time, N13BH, an experimental built Taifun 17E motorglider was substantially damaged when it impacted trees during takeoff from Waterbury Airport (N41), Waterbury, Connecticut. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, during his takeoff climb, when the airplane reached an altitude of 35 feet, the airplane encountered a downdraft caused by trees on the west side of the runway. The airplane seemed to "sag," was unable to continue its climb, and impacted the tree line. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane.
Witnesses also reported that the takeoff and initial climb appeared normal; however, at about 30 feet the airplane did not continue to accelerate or climb prior to impacting the trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N13BH
- Reported as
- Valentin Taifun 17E
- Category
- Glider
- Serial number
- 1054
- Airframe hours
- 655
- Engine
- Limbach L2000 EB, 79 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Joseph Bacon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2004 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- N41 · Waterbury, CT
- Destination
- N41 · Waterbury, CT
- Airport
- N41 · Waterbury Airport, runway 35, 2,005 × 35 ft, grass/turf
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
- Commercial
- Last flight review
- November 1, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 441 total · 6 in this make and model · 390 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.69 inHg
- Observed at
- OXC, 11 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.