Summary
On June 20, 2009, a Aircraft Mfg & Development Co CH 601XL S (N2601) was involved in an incident near Vaughn, MS. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's inadequate preflight planning.
An airline transport pilot was departing a private grass field in a special light sport airplane, with a passenger onboard. With calm wind, the airplane began a takeoff roll to the west on an approximate 1000-foot-long turf runway. The pilot said that during the takeoff roll, the airplane encountered a dip/bump in the runway, which reduced groundspeed and extended the ground roll. The airplane became airborne near the end of the runway, where it started to lose lift and struck an unseen wire with the right main landing gear. The wire was a solar/electrical wire, at a height of approximately 1 to 2 feet, which ran along and adjacent soybean patch. The airplane's nose then pitched down and the airplane came to rest at the bottom of a 5-foot embankment.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA09CA359. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2601.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
An airline transport pilot was departing a private grass field in a special light sport airplane, with a passenger onboard. With calm wind, the airplane began a takeoff roll to the west on an approximate 1000-foot-long turf runway. The pilot said that during the takeoff roll, the airplane encountered a dip/bump in the runway, which reduced groundspeed and extended the ground roll. The airplane became airborne near the end of the runway, where it started to lose lift and struck an unseen wire with the right main landing gear. The wire was a solar/electrical wire, at a height of approximately 1 to 2 feet, which ran along and adjacent soybean patch. The airplane's nose then pitched down and the airplane came to rest at the bottom of a 5-foot embankment. The pilot reported that due to the density altitude and the weight of the airplane, he could not gain sufficient airspeed during the takeoff to climb. The pilot added that had the unseen wire not "snagged" the landing gear, the airplane would have been able to continue accelerating and climbing. The airplane received damage to the propeller, left leading edge of the left wing, the landing gear, and the fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies or mechanical problems with the airplane.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA09CA359