The Zenith CH601XLB was taking off from a wet, turf runway at an airport in East Amherst, New York.
The pilot told investigators that during the departure roll the airplane began to veer to the right and was not traveling fast enough when he attempted to takeoff.
The nose gear settled back onto the runway, then sank into the soft turf, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane came to rest inverted and sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot sustained minor injuries in the crash.
The pilot also told investigators that he should have aborted the takeoff, but “thought he could power through the drifting and get the aircraft off the ground.”
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control and his decision to continue the takeoff from the soft turf runway.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This April 2024 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.
Yikes! Glad I didn’t fly with this guy.