- Date
- July 11, 2011, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Placerville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3503CDova Aircraft Sro DV-1 Skylark
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 6, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administraton
- FAA report
- 20110711020239A
- Case key
- 81080
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 adequate airspeed during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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 stated that after taxiing onto the runway, he increased the airplane's throttle to the full forward position and started his takeoff roll. After reaching an airspeed of 55 knots, the front wheel lifted off the ground and began to shimmy. The pilot applied back pressure on the control stick to takeoff, and after reaching approximately 30 feet above the ground, the left wing of the airplane started to stall and the airplane rolled to the left. At this time, the pilot applied a right input on the control stick along with right pedal. However, the airplane continued to roll to the left and impacted the ground substantially damaging the airplane. The pilot reported there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that precluded its normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that after taxiing onto runway 23 he increased the airplane's throttle to full and started his takeoff roll. After establishing 55 knots, the front wheel lifted off the ground and began to shimmy. The pilot pulled the stick back to takeoff. After reaching approximately 30 feet above the ground, the left wing of the airplane started to stall and the airplane rolled to the left. At this time, the pilot applied a right input on the stick along with right pedal. The airplane continued to roll to the left and impacted the ground substantially damaging the whole airplane. The pilot reported there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that precluded its normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3503C
- Reported as
- Dova Aircraft Sro DV-1 Skylark
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 07/06
- Airframe hours
- 37
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- SkyView Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Sport Planes Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 29, 2011 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- KRBL · Red Bluff, CA
- Destination
- KPVF · Placerville, CA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KPVF · Placerville Airport, runway 23, 4,201 × 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
- 28
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 29, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 118 total · 55 in this make and model · 59 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 12 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- KSMF, 44 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 28, 2011, 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.