Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB CEN15FA187
AIRCRAFT MFG & DVLPMT CO CH601XL — Pleasanton, KS
| Date | March 31, 2015 |
| Location | Pleasanton, KS |
| Aircraft | AIRCRAFT MFG & DVLPMT CO CH601XL |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 67 |
| Pilot total time | 529 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | 327 hrs |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action sequence-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Incorrect use/operation - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Climb rate-Incorrect use/operation - C
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on equipment
What happened
The sport pilot was conducting a personal flight with a pilot-rated passenger onboard. Witnesses stated that they saw the airplane lift off the runway in a nose-high attitude; they were unsure if the tail contacted the runway. They said the airplane appeared to be "behind the power curve" and "flying in ground effect." The airplane drifted left of the extended runway centerline and collided with the tops of trees at the end of the runway, fell to the ground inverted, and caught fire. Examination of the engine and propeller indicated the engine was operating at high power at the time of impact. The pilot's autopsy report showed severe coronary artery disease that posed a very significant hazard. However, the cause of death was attributed to thermal injuries. The circumstances of the accident were consistent with the pilot over-rotating the airplane on takeoff, resulting in an excessively high angle-of-attack with insufficient power available to climb and clear the trees on departure. It is unlikely the pilot could have seen or avoided the trees as the airplane approached the end of the runway.