- Date
- March 6, 2024, 08:07 local (15:07 UTC)
- Place
- Maricopa, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N601CFCzech Aircraft Works Spol Sro Sportcruiser
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Abnormal runway contact
- 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
- Case key
- 193919
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 pitch control, which resulted in abnormal contact with the runway.
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 the takeoff roll and after pulling the control stick back to initiate rotation, the airplane pulled off the ground quickly. Concerned the airplane would stall, the pilot then pushed the stick forward. The airplane’s nose lowered which resulted in the nosewheel contacting the runway surface and folding back. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N601CF
- Reported as
- Czech Aircraft Works Spol Sro Sportcruiser
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 07SC051
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 2,619.5
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alpha Kilo Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · April 21, 2023 · 69 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- A39 · Ak-Chin, runway 22, 4,751 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
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
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 27, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 247 total · 1 in this make and model · 130 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 4 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.91 inHg
- Observed at
- KCGZ, 8 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KCGZ 061456Z AUTO 09004KT 10SM CLR 11/05 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP126 6//// T01110050 53009 PNO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 22, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 MB in all.