- Date
- March 25, 2009, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Oakdale, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N392JJDenny Aerocraft Kitfox III
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090325003929A
- Case key
- 73609
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 inadequate compensation for the crosswind conditions.
Findings · 4
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 noted prior to departure that the winds were about the same as when he landed about 30 minutes earlier. He was departing on runway 28, and the winds were from 320 degrees at 10 knots with light gusts. About 5 feet above ground level after liftoff, the airplane suddenly veered to the left and down into a bowl-shaped depression adjacent to the runway. He recovered to unstable, but level, slow flight just inside the basin with the runway about 12 feet above and to the right of his position. He was approaching the end of the depression and lowered the flaps 10 degrees as he pulled up on the control stick. The airplane cleared the slope, but then the wind pushed it to the left again. The right main landing gear contacted the ground followed by firm contact with the left main landing gear and tailwheel. The tail bounced on the ground and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to both wings, right flaperon, fuselage, and vertical stabilizer.
Factual narrative
The pilot noted prior to departure that the winds were about the same as when he landed about 30 minutes earlier. He was departing on runway 28, and the winds were from 320 degrees at 10 knots with light gusts. About 5 feet above ground level after liftoff, the airplane suddenly veered to the left and down into a bowl-shaped depression adjacent to the runway. He recovered to unstable level slow flight just inside the basin with the runway about 12 feet above and to the right of his position. He was approaching the end of the depression and lowered the flaps 10 degrees as he pulled up on the control stick. The airplane cleared the slope, but then the wind pushed it to the left again. The right main landing gear contacted the ground followed by firm contact with the left main landing gear and tail wheel. The tail bounced on the ground and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to both wings, right flaperon, fuselage, and vertical stabilizer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N392JJ
- Reported as
- Denny Aerocraft Kitfox III
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1146
- Engine
- Rotax 582/LC, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert M McGregor
- Registered owner
- Robert M McGregor
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- KO27 · Oakdale, CA
- Destination
- KL36 · Rio Linda, CA
- Airport
- KO27 · Oakdale, runway 28, 3,020 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 14, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 779 total · 265 in this make and model · 675 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KMOD, 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.