Pilot Debrief

Tukan Trike near Nicholasville, KY — 2017-08-27

Final reportERA17LA297
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Date
2017-08-27
Location
Nicholasville, KY, USA
Aircraft
Tukan Trike
Registration
UNREG
Category
Trike
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The noncertificated pilot's failure to maintain control of the weight-shift-control aircraft during takeoff.

NTSB narrative

The noncertificated pilot was performing his first flight in the unregistered amateur-built weight-shift control light sport aircraft, which he purchased several months before the accident. During the takeoff, about 20 ft above the ground, the aircraft veered left and impacted a dumpster. It could not be determined whether the pilot obtained any instruction in the operation of the aircraft before the flight. Postmortem examination and toxicology testing detected the non-impairing metabolite of marijuana, THC-COOH, in blood, but the impairing compound, tetrahydrocannabinol, was not detected. It is likely that the pilot used marijuana at some time before the accident; however, it is unlikely that the effects of marijuana were impairing or contributed to the accident.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot should have received instruction before attempting first flight in the aircraft.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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