History of Flight
On August 4, 2017, about 0900 Pacific daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Rans S-9 Chaos light sport airplane, N519TB, was substantially damaged during a hard landing following an aborted takeoff from Hackney Skypark (ID05), Athol, Idaho. The commercial pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a personal flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
According to the pilot's son, who assisted as ground crew, this was the aircraft's first flight. Winds were very light, so the pilot chose runway 21, which had multiple flat fields beyond its end. The airplane was fueled with about 12 gallons, and the canopy was left off—a configuration approved by the kit manufacturer. The pilot performed a thorough pre-flight and control checks, confirmed radio communication with the ground crew, set the elevator trim tab to neutral, started the engine, and taxied without incident. He then conducted a high-speed taxi test, applying full power to accelerate to about 55 mph before reducing power and rolling out. That test was uneventful, and the pilot taxied back for takeoff.
The pilot announced his departure on the radio and applied full power. The airplane accelerated well, lifting off about 300 to 400 feet down the runway. About 2 seconds after liftoff, the airplane pitched up to a nose-high attitude of 15 to 20 degrees as it reached about 50 feet altitude. The son radioed the pilot about the excessive pitch. When the airplane reached about 150 feet altitude, less than halfway down the runway, a ground crew member observed it descending rapidly. The airplane landed hard, collapsing the main landing gear, and came to rest upright near the right edge of the turf runway.
The forward and lower fuselage sustained substantial crush damage. There was no fuel leakage or fire. The ground crew helped the pilot exit. He sustained head injuries despite wearing his shoulder harness and was taken to a hospital. The pilot initially reported difficulty controlling pitch attitude and that the engine performed normally. Later, he stated he attempted a steep climb to clear trees at the runway end. Due to the mid-wing configuration, he lost sight of the horizon during initial climb and had trouble judging pitch attitude without a cockpit attitude indicator.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a commercial certificate with single-engine, multiengine, and instrument ratings. He had about 6,000 total flight hours, including about 2 hours in the accident airplane make and model. He had successfully built and performed first flights of two other aircraft. His most recent flight review was in July 2016. At the time, he did not hold a current FAA medical certificate and was operating under light sport provisions using his driver's license.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was equipped with a 52 hp Rotax 503 DCDI series engine. Construction was completed a few weeks before the accident. The pilot spent weeks conducting engine, propeller, taxi, and ground handling tests, making minor adjustments. A data sheet showed control travel ranges within kit manufacturer specifications.
Weight and balance calculations for the accident flight indicated a CG of 59.7 inches, within the manufacturer's range of 53 to 62 inches. Calculated weight was 677 lbs. The kit manufacturer specified maximum takeoff weights for 65 hp (710 lbs) and 80/100 hp (810 lbs) engines but did not respond to an NTSB query about the 52 hp installation. However, the builder-pilot reported being told the kit was offered with the 52 hp engine until the Rotax 503 went out of production. The pilot's calculations were verified by investigators, but actual weights and distances were not.
The kit manufacturer recommended a three-point takeoff attitude (tailwheel on ground) rather than lifting the tailwheel. Post-accident, the pilot's son reported that during the high-speed taxi test, the airplane became light at about 55 mph, which he thought unusual given the stall speed of 41 mph.
Meteorological Information
At 0856, an automated weather observation at an airport 12 miles south reported wind from 080 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 24°C, dew point 12°C, and altimeter setting 29.89 inches of mercury.
Airport Information
The accident occurred at Hackney Skypark (ID05), Athol, Idaho. The runway used was 21, a turf surface.