- Date
- March 11, 2021, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Arlington, AZ · Desert mountain strip
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N38LWCubcrafters CC11-160
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20210311003449A
- Case key
- 102755
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 obstacle clearance during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a cactus and impact with terrain.
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 reported that, during takeoff from an off-airport location, the airplane collided with a Saguaro cactus. The airplane spun to the left and impacted the ground, before coming to rest in a ravine. The left-wing spar was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38LW
- Reported as
- Cubcrafters CC11-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CC11-00185
- Built
- 2011
- Airframe hours
- 499.8
- Engine
- Cubcrafters CC340, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 15, 2020
- Departed
- E63 · Gila Bend, AZ
- Destination
- PO8 · Coolidge, AZ
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 78
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- January 13, 2021
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,532 total · 790.1 in this make and model · 2,532 as pilot in command · 5.6 in the last 90 days · 4.1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KLUF, 28 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.