Accident Description
On March 20, 2014, at about 1650 Pacific daylight time, an Evektor-Aerotechnik-AS Sportstar, registration N817EV, sustained substantial damage during takeoff from Porterville Municipal Airport, Porterville, California. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Lighten Up Aviation LLC under 14 CFR Part 91. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight. The accident occurred at the beginning of the flight.
According to a written statement from the student pilot to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, during takeoff on runway 30, as the airplane accelerated past about 30 miles per hour, he felt the aircraft dip to the right. When he reduced throttle and applied brakes, the airplane suddenly spun to the left and exited the runway.
Witness Report
A witness located adjacent to the accident site reported observing the airplane veer to the left and the right wing drop during the takeoff roll. The witness heard the engine power reduce and saw the right main landing gear begin to "flip around" as the airplane exited the left side of the runway. The witness added that the airplane came to rest adjacent to the runway opposite the direction of takeoff, and the right main landing gear had separated.
Weather and Examination
Recorded weather information indicated that about 5 minutes after the accident, wind was from 290 degrees at 6 knots. About 20 minutes after the accident, wind was from 270 degrees at 7 knots.
A postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the right main landing gear had separated and the right wing was bent up slightly about mid-span. The inspector stated that examination did not reveal any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Skid marks consistent with a left skidding turn were observed on the runway surface.