Unfamiliarity contributes to crash

After a one-hour local flight during which he familiarized himself with the Rans Coyote’s stall characteristics, the student pilot/owner of the experimental light-sport airplane returned to his home airport in London, Kentucky, to practice touch-and-go landings.

The airplane bounced during the final landing attempt, and while recovering, the student applied full power to the engine for a go-around.

The student stated that the airplane then banked to the right due to the engine’s counter-clockwise rotation “p factor effect” and began heading toward a hangar located off the right side of the runway.

Due to the airplane’s low altitude and airspeed, the student chose to continue the right turn to avoid colliding with the hangar, and once clear of it, tried to climb the airplane to clear an approaching tree line. However, the airplane’s right wing hit one of the trees.

The airplane then hit the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe and serious injuries to the pilot.

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation. He attributed the loss of control during the go-around attempt to his unfamiliarity with the flight characteristics of the counter-clockwise rotation of the airplane’s two-stroke engine and his lack of flight experience in experimental light-sport airplanes.

Probable cause: The student pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from trees during an attempted go-around.

NTSB Identification: ERA16CA290

This August 2016 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.