N295JS – NUSE GEORGE F1H ROCKET – 2011-12-02 NTSB Accident Report

On December 02, 2011, a Nuse George F1H ROCKET (N295JS) was involved in an incident near Caroleen, NC. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot did not maintain directional control during takeoff at night due to his distraction with a dropped flashlight, and he delayed his decision to abort the takeoff.

The tail-wheel equipped experimental amateur-built airplane was departing from a turf runway at night. The pilot reported that he observed two deer crossing the runway and swerved to avoid them. At that time, a flashlight fell from the top of the instrument panel to the floor of the cockpit. The pilot looked down to retrieve the flashlight and did not realize that the airplane had veered off the runway. He subsequently noticed that the airplane did not feel right, looked up, and observed an approaching tree line. The pilot reduced the engine power to idle and applied brakes; however, the airplane struck trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA12CA094. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N295JS.