- Date
- October 18, 2012, 14:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Twin Bridges, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N960WMAlbright Stan Kitfox Super Sport
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20121018023149A
- Case key
- 85376
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 airplane builder’s failure to rig the flight controls correctly, which resulted in a loss of control after takeoff.
Findings · 3
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 attempted to perform a full-flap soft-field takeoff in the experimental light sport airplane. The pilot had flown about 16 hours in the accident airplane in the 4 months since he purchased it from the airplane builder; however, this was his first attempt at full-flap soft-field takeoff in this airplane. As the airplane left the ground, it rolled abruptly to the right. The right wing tip struck the ground, and the airplane cartwheeled, coming to rest pointing in the opposite direction of intended travel. The right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane's flaperons were misrigged and that the resultant difference in flaperon deflection was more extreme in the full flap position. In the full flap position with a full left control deflection input, the right flaperon moved 3 degrees more and the left flaperon 3 degrees less than they would have if properly rigged. The asymmetric nature of the flaperon deflections induced an adverse yaw to the right despite the pilot's corrective control inputs. Examination of the airplane maintenance logbook revealed that the airplane builder performed the most recent annual airworthiness inspection 4 1/2 months before the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot attempted to perform a full-flap soft-field takeoff in the experimental light sport airplane. The pilot had flown about 16 hours in the accident airplane in the 4 months since he purchased it from the airplane builder; however, this was his first attempted full-flap soft-field takeoff in this airplane. As the airplane left the ground, it rolled abruptly to the right. The right wing tip struck the ground, and the airplane cartwheeled, coming to rest pointing in the opposite direction of intended travel. The right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane's flaperons were misrigged and that the resultant difference in flaperon deflection was more extreme in the full flap position. In the full flap position with a full left control deflection input, the right flaperon moved 3 degrees more and the left flaperon 3 degrees less than they would have if properly rigged. The asymmetric nature of the flaperon deflections induced an adverse yaw to the right despite the pilot's corrective control inputs. Examination of the airplane maintenance logbook revealed that the airplane builder performed the most recent annual airworthiness inspection 4 1/2 months before the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N960WM
- Reported as
- Albright Stan Kitfox Super Sport
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- KA09088156
- Airframe hours
- 71
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles W d'Autremont
- Registered owner
- Charles W d'Autremont
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2012
- Departed
- K7S1 · Twin Bridges, MT
- Destination
- K7S1 · Twin Bridges, MT
- Airport
- K7S1 · Twin Bridges, runway 17, 4,300 × 60 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- August 7, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,750 total · 16 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- KDLN, 20 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 20, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.