The pilot was in the front seat of the Rans S7 and a passenger, who is a flight instructor, was in the rear seat.
Due to his serious injuries, the pilot was unable to recall what happened during the accident.
The passenger reported that during the takeoff from the airport in Gardner, Kansas, the airplane began to drift to the right.
It came near another airplane that was on the grass and the pilot “pitched up” to avoid the other airplane.
The airplane exceeded its critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control at an altitude too low to allow for recovery. The passenger estimated the aerodynamic stall occurred at 50 feet AGL.
The airplane hit terrain, came to rest upright, and a post-impact fire ensued.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.
The passenger reported that the engine was producing full power until the time of impact, and he did not hear any abnormal engine noises during the accident flight.
A post-accident examination confirmed flight control continuity for the airframe.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control at too low of an altitude to recover.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This May 2023 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.
Tom, thanks for the final report info. I admit I was too lazy and should have just looked at the report.
Nothing about the pilot’s loss/lack of directional control being a major contributing factor?
Loss of Control is listed as the “Defining Event” in the Final Report’s “History of Flight section:
PROBABLE CAUSE AND FINDINGS:
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control at too low of an altitude to recover.
FACTUAL INFORMATION
History of Flight
Takeoff- Loss of control in flight (Defining event)
Takeoff- Aerodynamic stall/spin
Takeoff- Collision during takeoff/land
Post-impact- Fire/smoke (post-impact)
Post-impact- Evacuation
Source: NTSB Aviation Investigation Final Report
Statements in the final report from rear seat passenger Klusman (CFI rated but not acting as a CFI).
– Mr. Letts added power but did not maintain directional control of the aircraft on the
runway
– Mr. Letts did not push forward on the stick during the takeoff roll, which struck Mr.
Klusman as distinctly not how pilots are taught to handle a tailwheel aircraft during the
takeoff roll phase.
– The aircraft lifted off the ground very quickly and the pitch attitude was nose-high.
– After lift-off, the aircraft banked sharply to the right and in the next 3-4 seconds the
airplane stalled and struck the ground.Mr. Klusman estimated that the aircraft lifted off
the ground to an altitude of approximately 30-50 feet.