- Date
- August 22, 2008, 19:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Fincastle, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N404BBSacrey W Michael Zenair CH
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080822844679A
- Case key
- 68810
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 inadvertent premature rotation during takeoff.
Findings · 2
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 amateur-built Zenair CH 701SP was departing from a turf runway. He reported that he pulled the control stick back too far in an effort to reduce the weight on the nose wheel, which resulted in the airplane becoming airborne prematurely. The airplane did not have enough airspeed for the pilot to be able to maintain directional control. It turned left, descended, and struck trees located off the left side of the runway. He did not report any mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane, nor were any found during post-accident examination.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the amateur-built Zenair CH 701SP, was departing from a 2,100-foot-long, turf runway. He reported that he pulled the control stick back too far, in an effort to reduce the weight on the nose-wheel, which resulted in the airplane becoming airborne prematurely. The airplane did not have enough airspeed for the pilot to be able to maintain directional control. It turned left, descended, and struck trees located off the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained damage to both wings, the empennage, and the forward portion of the fuselage. The pilot reported 2,021 hours of total flight experience, which included 13 hours in same make and model as the accident airplane. He did not report any mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane, nor were any found during postaccident examination.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N404BB
- Reported as
- Sacrey W Michael Zenair CH (701SP)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 7-9475
- Airframe hours
- 135
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · March 15, 2008
- Departed
- VA04 · Fincastle, VA
- Destination
- VA04 · Fincastle, VA
- Airport
- VA04 · Barrows, runway 08, 2,100 × 40 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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 5, 2008
- Flight hours
- 2,021 total · 13 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- ROA, 10 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.