- Date
- September 9, 2011, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Corvallis, OR
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5628KAir Creation Tanarg
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110909019819A
- Case key
- 81759
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 clearance from an obstacle while taking off with a gusting crosswind.
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, who was taking off in a powered-lift, weight-shift controlled, light sport aircraft, was departing from a grass airstrip in gusting crosswind conditions. He was aware that, about five yards from the edge of the airstrip, there was a line of irrigation pipes supported by ten foot diameter metal rotation wheels, but he thought that allowing the aircraft to weathervane into the crosswind would keep him over the airstrip. Therefore, after liftoff he allowed the aircraft to weather vane toward the irrigation pipes. Soon thereafter the wind shifted, and the aircraft flew into one of the ten foot support wheels before the pilot could take corrective action. In the recommendations section of the NTSB Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that he was in a rush, and that he should have taken the time to move over to an adjacent field that was away from the irrigation system.
Factual narrative
The pilot, who was taking off in a powered-lift, weight-shift controlled, light sport aircraft, was departing from a grass airstrip in gusting crosswind conditions. He was aware that about five yards from the edge of the airstrip there was a line of irrigation pipes supported by ten foot diameter metal rotation wheels, but he thought that allowing the aircraft to weather vane into the crosswind would keep him over the airstrip. Therefore, after liftoff he allowed the aircraft to weather vane toward the irrigation pipes. But, soon thereafter the wind shifted, and the aircraft flew into one of the ten foot support wheels before the pilot could take corrective action. In the recommendations section of the NTSB Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that he was in a rush, and that he should have taken the time to move over to an adjacent field that was away from the irrigation system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5628K
- Reported as
- Air Creation Tanarg
- Category
- Weight-shift
- Serial number
- T06007
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Owens Peter C
- Registered owner
- Owens Peter C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · November 9, 2010
- Departed
- OG01 · Corvallis, OR
- Destination
- KCVO · Corvallis, OR
- Airport
- OG01 · Dunning Vineyards, runway 07, 1,600 × 60 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
- 57
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Last flight review
- April 17, 2010
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 239 total · 239 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 3, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 141 KB 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.