N742RJ – SLOAN ROGER D VANS RV7A – 2011-07-29 NTSB Accident Report

On July 29, 2011, a Sloan Roger D VANS RV7A (N742RJ) was involved in an incident near Sheridan, WY. 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 failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff due to cockpit distractions.

The pilot reported that when the airplane lifted off he became distracted by his headsets noise canceling control and suddenly the nose wheel of the airplane hit the ground hard. The pilot immediately pulled back on the controls and took the airplane up to assess the damage. After 15 minutes of flight the emergency crew on the ground assessed that the nose gear was bent and the pilot prepared for an emergency landing. The pilot opted to land on the grass and as he set the airplane down on the surface the front gear leg gave away and the airplane tilted up on its propeller before falling back down onto its main gear and substantially damaging the rudder.

This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR11CA353. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N742RJ.