- Date
- May 15, 2006, 20:00 local (May 16, 2006, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Big Timber, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N124WTHelmer Avid Magnum
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060515020959A
- Case key
- 63687
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 directional control after he diverted his attention to close the aircraft's door during the takeoff roll. Factors include a fence and fence post along the side of the runway.
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
At the beginning of his takeoff roll, the aircraft door popped open, so the pilot shut it. Then a few moments later, the door popped open again, and the pilot closed it a second time. While he was closing the door for the second time, the aircraft veered off the left side of the runway. At that point, the pilot saw that the aircraft was heading for a gate post and a fence, so he pulled the stick back in hopes of clearing the obstacles. But, the aircraft's left wing impacted the post, and the aircraft spun around about 200 degrees, and came to rest with its right wing entangled in the fence structure. After the accident, the pilot stated that his attempt to close the door had distracted him, and that he should have put 100 percent of his attention on the takeoff, and taken care of the door after he was airborne.
Factual narrative
On May 15, 2006, approximately 2000 mountain daylight time, an experimental Helmer Avid Magnum, N124WT, collided with a fence during a takeoff from a private airstrip near Big Timber, Montana. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured, but the aircraft, which is owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The pilot was departing in visual meteorological conditions for a local personal flight.
According to the pilot, at the beginning of his takeoff roll, the aircraft door popped open, so he shut it. Then a few moments later, the door popped open again, and the pilot closed it a second time. While he was closing the door for the second time, the aircraft veered off the left side of the runway. At that point, the pilot saw that the aircraft was heading for a gate post and a fence, so he pulled the stick back in hopes of clearing the obstacles. But, the aircraft's left wing impacted the post, and the aircraft spun around about 200 degrees, and came to rest with its right wing entangled in the fence structure. After the accident, the pilot stated that his attempt to close the door had distracted him, and that he should have put 100 percent of his attention on the takeoff, and taken care of the door after he was airborne.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N124WT
- Reported as
- Helmer Avid Magnum
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 124M
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William B. Helmer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- Big Timber, MT
- Airport
- NONE · Private Airstrip
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 1,941 total · 200 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.