Pilot Debrief

AIRBORNE XT-912 near Chelan, WA — 2008-09-06

Final reportLAX08LA290
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Date
2008-09-06
Location
Chelan, WA, USA
Airport
S10
Aircraft
AIRBORNE XT-912
Registration
N227EK
Category
Trike
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot had stopped flying about 1970, resuming his flying again about 11 months prior to the accident. He received instruction in weight-shift aircraft with the goal of obtaining his sport pilot endorsement. On the day of the accident, the pilot received his solo endorsement from his instructor and made a 1-hour solo flight. After resting for about an hour, the pilot began his second solo flight. The accident occurred about 40 minutes into this flight. According to witnesses, the pilot performed several touch-and-go landings without incident. During the initial takeoff climb following another touch-and-go landing, the aircraft climbed at a "steep" angle, and at an altitude of about 100 to 200 feet above ground level, the aircraft rolled left, nosed down, spiraled and descended to ground impact. One witness stated that the engine remained at takeoff power throughout the entire event. An on-scene examination of the wreckage conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector indicated the aircraft impacted in a near-vertical attitude. The examination revealed no evidence of any preimpact damage or discrepancies. An autopsy determined the pilot's cause of death was blunt force trauma, and the findings in the autopsy report did not include any notations of preexisting disease. The reason the pilot lost control of the aircraft could not be determined.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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