LAMMERS SJEF J APACHE

Colorado Springs, CO — May 20, 2011

Event Information

DateMay 20, 2011
Event TypeACC
NTSB NumberCEN11CA360
Event ID20110531X94940
LocationColorado Springs, CO
CountryUSA
Coordinates38.94056, -104.40195
AirportMeadow Lake
Highest InjurySERS

Aircraft

MakeLAMMERS SJEF J
ModelAPACHE
CategoryWSFT
FAR Part091
Aircraft DamageSUBS

Conditions

Light ConditionDAYL
WeatherVMC

Injuries

Fatal0
Serious1
Minor0
None0
Total Injured1

Event Location

Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft during take-off in a cross wind, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.

Full Narrative

On the morning of the accident, the pilot had removed his single-surface wing and installed a dual-surface wing on his weight shift aircraft. The winds were calm and he conducted an uneventful test flight. The pilot returned to his hanger and made some adjustments to the control bar but elected to not do another test flight because the winds were increasing at the airport. Later that afternoon, the pilot decided to do a second test flight because the wind had decreased some. The pilot departed with an 80 degree crosswind between 5 and 10 knots. He said that he did not build up sufficient airspeed on the takeoff roll and once he got airborne he was about 5 knots above stall speed and very slow. When the aircraft was approximately 100 and 150 feet in the air, he encountered wind shear and the right wing stalled and dropped. The pilot was unable to recover and the aircraft crashed on the right side of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the entire aircraft.

About This NTSB Record

This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.

All Aviation Events More in CO