Summary
On August 04, 2014, a Cote James RANS S 6S (N502CW) was involved in an incident near New Berlin, PA. 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 passenger's inadvertent interference with the rudder controls during the takeoff.
The pilot stated that just after takeoff, the airplane entered "uncoordinated flight to the left." He applied right rudder to correct, but felt that the rudder was ineffective. After clearing trees at the end of the runway, the pilot elected to conduct a precautionary landing in a field. He stated that the airplane's rate of descent was "high," and that the nose landing gear collapsed upon touchdown. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the engine firewall, both wings, and the vertical stablilizer. Examination of the rudder controls revealed no anomalies.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA14CA385. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N502CW.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The passenger's inadvertent interference with the rudder controls during the takeoff.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot stated that just after takeoff, the airplane entered "uncoordinated flight to the left." He applied right rudder to correct, but felt that the rudder was ineffective. After clearing trees at the end of the runway, the pilot elected to conduct a precautionary landing in a field. He stated that the airplane's rate of descent was "high," and that the nose landing gear collapsed upon touchdown. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the engine firewall, both wings, and the vertical stablilizer. Examination of the rudder controls revealed no anomalies. According to the pilot, his passenger was "apprehensive" about the flight, and inadvertently applied pressure to the left rudder pedal with his foot throughout the takeoff and accident sequence.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA14CA385