Summary
On May 23, 2009, a Aerotrike Safari (N8035W) was involved in an accident near Lake City, MI. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 2 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb.
The experimental weight-shift-control aircraft was performing a takeoff from runway 18 when the accident occurred. The pilot stated that during initial climb, about 10-12 feet above the ground, the aircraft began to descend and drift off the runway centerline. The pilot was not able to correct for the descent and lateral drift before the aircraft landed hard on its rear landing gear. The right wingtip impacted the terrain as the aircraft bounced twice and tipped onto its side. The wing and its king post were substantially damaged during the accident. The pilot stated that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures. According to the pilot, the local surface winds were 3-5 knots from the west-southwest.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN09CA334. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N8035W.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the initial climb.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The experimental weight-shift-control aircraft was performing a takeoff from runway 18 when the accident occurred. The pilot stated that during initial climb, about 10-12 feet above the ground, the aircraft began to descend and drift off the runway centerline. The pilot was not able to correct for the descent and lateral drift before the aircraft landed hard on its rear landing gear. The right wingtip impacted the terrain as the aircraft bounced twice and tipped onto its side. The wing and its king post were substantially damaged during the accident. The pilot stated that there were no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures. According to the pilot, the local surface winds were 3-5 knots from the west-southwest. A nearby weather station reported that the surface winds were 7 knots from the northwest.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN09CA334