- Date
- February 19, 2023, 10:57 local (18:57 UTC)
- Place
- Cal-Nev-Ari, NV · desert; BLM landed protected tortoise sanctuary
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2847HGlasair Sportsman
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20230219001689A
- Case key
- 106758
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 improper decision to takeoff with known damage to the wing and his failure to maintain directional control during takeoff on rough terrain.
Findings · 5
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, he planned an off-airport landing on a dirt road. He performed a series of passes to confirm the road condition and decided to proceed with the landing. During the rollout, the dirt road elevation lowered with respect to the berms on either side, and the wings contacted vegetation, which damaged the left wing. The pilot and his passenger exited the airplane to inspect the damage and determined that the airplane was airworthy and able to fly to a nearby airport with only the pilot onboard. The pilot stated that for the accident takeoff, near rotation speed, the left main wheel dropped into a rut of soft sand, the airplane veered left, the left wing contacted a berm, and the airplane spun around and came to rest inverted. Substantial damage was sustained to the wings and fuselage. Witnesses reported that they saw the airplane climb before veering left and descending back to the ground. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2847H
- Reported as
- Glasair Sportsman
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 7065
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 744
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 3, 2022 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- MYF · San Diego, CA
- Destination
- 1L4 · Cal-Nev-Ari, CA
- Airport
- NONE · BLM dirt road
- Equipment
- Data recorder, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 59
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 22, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 7,656 total · 729 in this make and model · 5,864 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KIFP, 16 nm away
- METAR
- KIFP 191852Z 35014KT 20SM SCT120 18/M08 A3006
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.8 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.